Sri Lanka has reiterated that the Indian Ocean must remain a zone of peace, cooperation and shared prosperity, Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) told a high-level security forum in Moscow on Thursday.
Thuyacontha addressed the 14th International Meeting of High-Ranking Officials Responsible for Security Matters, an annual gathering hosted by Russia that brings together senior security officials and representatives of international organisations to discuss emerging global and regional security issues.
He highlighted the growing geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean and stressed the need to uphold freedom of navigation, respect for international law and constructive dialogue among nations to prevent regional tensions from escalating.
The Defence Secretary also underscored the importance of international cooperation, intelligence sharing and collective action against modern threats including terrorism, cybercrime, maritime insecurity and climate-related risks.
“Sri Lanka remains committed to the principles of non-alignment and peaceful coexistence,” Thuyacontha said, adding that smaller states have an important role to play in fostering dialogue, trust and regional stability.
The Moscow speech caps a week of senior Sri Lankan engagement on Indian Ocean architecture. Thuyacontha held bilateral talks with Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Osmakov in Moscow on May 27, while in Colombo the Clingendael Institute and the Pathfinder Foundation convened a joint dialogue on Indian Ocean security cooperation. The “zone of peace” framing has also been a persistent theme in recent commentary from the Chinese envoy cautioning against great-power competition in the region.
