Govt committed to working with all partners to ensure Indian Ocean remains peaceful: PM Harini

The government is committed to working with all partners to ensure the Indian Ocean remains a peaceful, secure, sustainable, and well-governed region, founded on fairness and cooperation, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated.

The Prime Minister noted that Sri Lanka recognizes both the value and responsibility of its strategic location in the Indian Ocean.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya made these remarks while addressing the 12th International Maritime Conference “Galle Dialogue 2025,” organized by the Sri Lanka Navy.

The Galle Dialogue 2025 is being held under the theme “Maritime Outlook of the Indian Ocean under Changing Dynamics,” at the Wave and Lake Banquet Hall of the Welisara Navy Base.

Addressing further, the Prime Minister stated:

For many years, this dialogue has become an international platform for discussions about the future of the Indian Ocean.

The Indian Ocean is one of the most strategic maritime regions in the world. It is not only a main route for trade and energy security but also a lifeline for millions.

However, geopolitical rivalries, environmental pressures, illegal migration, and governance challenges have emerged alongside these developments.

For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been a hub of civilizations for trade, cultural exchange, and technological progress. Today, it is evolving into a key hub of strategic needs, becoming both a stage for competition and a platform for cooperation.

Sri Lanka has well recognized the value and responsibility due to where it is situated in the Indian Ocean. Our aim is to work with all partners to make the Indian Ocean a region that is peaceful, secure, sustainable, and governed on the basis of justice and cooperation.

In the modern world, the seas face unprecedented challenges. Climate change, rising sea levels, overfishing, and pollution has now threatened the biodiversity, human security, and economic stability.

Protecting the marine environment is vital to our national survival and that is why we stand for stronger conservation frameworks, the expansion of marine protected areas, and international cooperation.

Effective maritime governance is equally critical. Beyond traditional threats, Sri Lanka is also faced with non-traditional challenges, including drug trafficking. Hereby I emphasize that this is an important responsibility of our Navy and Sri Lanka Coast Guard.

The government is committed to safeguarding national security and public health and in that cause necessary preventive measures are already being implemented to combat drug trafficking.
 
Recognizing the evolving maritime security landscape and the decisive role of the Sri Lanka Navy, the government has allocated Rs. 92.5 billion to the Navy in the 2025 Defence Budget, an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. I consider this investment a statement of the government’s commitment to enhancing national security and protecting our maritime.

I also take this opportunity to appreciate the dedication of the Sri Lanka Navy in protecting our people and our maritime domain through regular patrols, inspections, and intelligence-based operations that lead to the seizure of narcotic consignments and the arrest of traffickers.

Sri Lanka cannot face these challenges in the Indian Ocean alone. Effective maritime security and counter-narcotics operations require the active cooperation of other nations.

Freedom of navigation, respect for international law, responding to piracy, trafficking, and illegal migration, as well as the exchange of information as such all depend on coordination and confidence-building between navies and coast guards.

In all those aspects, sailors, coastal communities, and people dependent on ocean resources face both opportunities and risks.

Navies can secure sea routes, prevent intrusions, combat illegal activities, and respond to humanitarian crises only through cooperation with one another. Sri Lanka calls upon all stakeholders to contribute to a cooperative maritime security framework founded on transparency and respect for international law.
 
Through cooperation, the Indian Ocean can be built as a region of peace, prosperity, and opportunity. No nation can face these challenges alone. Multilateralism, inter-state partnerships, engagement of navies, maritime industries, and civil society are all essential in this cause.