Pathfinder Foundation and the Australian High Commission in Colombo co-hosted a Track 1.5 Trilateral Roundtable titled “Sri Lanka-India-Australia: Maritime Neighbours and Partners”. The event at the Australian High Commission brought together key stakeholders and experts to discuss pressing maritime security issues in the region.
The program commenced with a welcome address by Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Paul Stephens, followed by introductory remarks by Chairman, Pathfinder Foundation, Ambassador (Retd.) Bernard Goonetilleke.
Pathfinder Foundation Chirman Bernard Goonatilleke, Excecative Director Daya de Silva and representatives from the Navy
Assistant Secretary North and South Asia, Department of Defence, Australia, Karen Radford who is on an official visit to Colombo, centred her remarks around “Australian perspectives in the Indian Ocean Region and Defence’s Approach”, providing insights into the Australian National Defence Strategy (2024) and emphasizing the importance of international partnerships.
She reiterated Australia’s continuous commitment to building Sri Lanka’s sovereign capabilities in light of prevailing security challenges through training, sharing information and exchange.
The roundtable focused on three topics. Future security challenges in the Indian Ocean Region and response options, covering traditional and non-traditional threats as well as issues relating to multilateral cooperation and governance, were presented by Convenor of Natsrat India, Ambassador (Retd.) Pankaj Saran. Regional architecture with maritime security remit was addressed by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia and former Foreign Secretary Admiral (Retd.) Jayanath Colombage and Maritime Domain Awareness with a special focus on opportunities for trilateral cooperation in maritime aerial surveillance and regional cooperation for hydrography by Senior Research Fellow, Australian National University Dr. David Brewster.
Ambassador (Retd.) Saran highlighted the urgent need to address climate change-related and other non-traditional threats that affect economic prosperity and security.
Ambassador Colombage discussed the evolving and unpredictable threats from non-state actors, highlighting the challenges posed by AI and cyber-attacks on shipping networks and stressing the need for robust responses to these common regional threats.
Dr. David Brewster underscored opportunities for trilateral cooperation in maritime aerial surveillance and regional hydrography and emphasised the importance of enhancing maritime domain awareness.
The roundtable concluded with an interactive session, allowing participants to share their perspectives in depth. The closing remarks reinforced the commitment of Sri Lanka, India, and Australia to continue working together to address maritime security challenges and strengthen regional cooperation.
