Seeking to enhance maritime security and interoperability, coast guard personnel from India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka have embarked on a four-day trilateral exercise to identify emerging maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean Region.
Indian Coast Guard ship Samarth and ICGS Abhinav along with Sri Lanka Naval Ship Samudura reached here on Thursday for the exercise ‘DOSTI-16’ that would be held between February 22 and 25. Bangladesh is participating as an observer.
Coast guard helicopter ICGS Dornier too is part of the trilateral exercise ‘Dosti,’ which Sri Lanka said aims to enhance cooperation, strengthen friendship, improve mutual operational capability, and develop interoperability among the Coast Guard personnel of India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) late Thursday evening extended a warm welcome to ADG S Paramesh, Additional Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. “Upon his (Paramesh) arrival at the VIA, Colonel Mohamed Saleem, Commandant of MNDF Coast Guard, greeted him,” a post on X by MNDF said.
“Commanding Officers of both ICG ships called on Commandant MNDF CG and discussed mutual avenues of cooperative engagements,” the Indian Coast Guard said in a post on X.