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India revives Indian Ocean security bloc with an eye on China’s growing influence
- The Colombo Security Conclave – including India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives – last week hosted its second meeting in eight months
- The group was formed in 2011 and revived in November last year. It is now poised to bring Bangladesh, Seychelles and Mauritius into the fold
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As the Pacific Ocean’s strategic rivalries intensify, a new multilateral grouping has emerged in the Indian Ocean, and its ripples are likely to be felt in the South China Sea.
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The Colombo Security Conclave – including India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives – last week hosted its second meeting in eight months, during which the neighbours emphasised “four pillars” of cooperation, including marine security, terrorism, human trafficking and cybersecurity.
The August 4 virtual gathering was held a month after the navies of the three countries conducted their first tabletop exercise over two days, which New Delhi said was symbolic of “the deep trilateral engagement” in the maritime domain between the nations.
The group was formed in 2011 and revived in November last year after a six-year hiatus. It is now poised to expand its full-time membership to Bangladesh, Seychelles and Mauritius, which currently hold observer status.
Experts said the decision to welcome the three new members reflected India’s growing ambitions in the region and its wariness of China’s attempts to cultivate similar partnerships.
In 2015, then Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said the trilateral was “exploring the possibility” of bringing countries such as Seychelles and Mauritius into its fold. But the plan stalled when ties between New Delhi and Malé soured during the term of former Maldives president Abdulla Yameen.
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But six years later, as it fends off an assertive Chinese presence in the Himalayas, New Delhi is now dusting off the old plans.
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