India's NSA Doval In Colombo Weeks Ahead Of Sri Lanka's Presidential Election

COLOMBO (News 1st); National Security Advisor of India, Ajit Kumar Doval, arrived in Sri Lanka last morning for an official visit. Doval is in Sri Lanka to participate in the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), which focuses on key areas such as maritime security, countering terrorism, and cybersecurity. The Indian High Commission to Sri Lanka informed News 1st that Doval's visit is at the invitation of the Sri Lankan government. During his two-day visit, he is scheduled to take part in a signing ceremony. The Conclave with its Colombo Secretariat brings together National Security Advisors and Deputy NSA's from India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius. Bangladesh and the Seychelles have observer status at the Conclave. The conclave deals with maritime security counter-terrorism and cyber security with India bringing to the fore its own strategic concerns in the Indian Ocean. Reports indicate that several prominent political figures in Sri Lanka have extended invitations for discussions with Doval. However, there is no official statement so far on Doval’s visit, taking place about three weeks before Sri Lanka’s Presidential elections scheduled on September 21. Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval emphasized the significant potential for India and Sri Lanka to further strengthen their economic cooperation, highlighting the mutual benefits due to the complementary nature of their bilateral ties.  During his meeting with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo on August 29, Doval expressed India's desire to expand cooperation and sought the Prime Minister’s views on priority areas. Prime Minister Gunawardena identified the energy sector as a key area for collaboration, thanking India for its support of both large-scale and small-scale alternative energy projects. He mentioned that the Sri Lankan government has amended the Ceylon Electricity Board regulations to facilitate private sector participation in electricity generation and distribution, which could lead to increased Indian investments in solar and wind power projects. Doval suggested that in the long term, Sri Lanka could generate more power than its domestic needs and sell the excess to India, reaping substantial financial benefits. He cited Bhutan's successful sale of hydroelectric power to India as an example, noting it as Bhutan's largest revenue source. The Prime Minister also highlighted that Sri Lanka’s Theravada economic policy is inspired by economic practices in India from 25 centuries ago during the time of Gautama Buddha, which he believes will complement economic growth. He expressed gratitude to India for providing training to Sri Lanka's armed forces and public servants to enhance their skills and efficiency. The National Security Advisor led a high-level delegation that included High Commissioner Santosh Jha, Additional Secretary Puneet Agrawal, and senior officials Akshay Joshi, Gaurav Aluwhalia, and Teja Chandan. Moreover, former High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda presented a copy of the Pathfinder Foundation’s Study Group Report on India-Sri Lanka Physical Connectivity to Ajit Kumar Doval, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India.  The Study Group report which was recently launched, provides a comprehensive blueprint for physical connectivity in the sectors of road, rail, electricity and petroleum.  The ultimate goal of this initiative is to increase Sri Lanka’s annual economic growth rate from 3 to 6% through economic integration between the two countries. Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser of India, met with a group of North East political representatives in Colombo yesterday. The discussions included key figures such as Ilangei Tamil Arasu Katchchi's Member of Parliament and President's Counsel MA Sumanthiran, S. Sridharan, Selvam Adeikkalanathan, Dharmalingam Siddharthan, and others. Additionally, Doval held talks with the Secretary of the Tamil National People's Front, Member of Parliament Selvarasa Gajendran. According to MA Sumanthiran, the discussions covered a range of issues, including the political problems faced by the Tamil people and the upcoming presidential election.