The Indian and Sri Lankan Coast Guards have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral maritime cooperation, with particular emphasis on regional maritime security, operational coordination and disaster response.

The commitment was reiterated at the 9th India–Sri Lanka Coast Guard High-Level Meeting (HLM), held at the Sri Lanka Coast Guard Headquarters.

The meeting brought together senior representatives of both Coast Guards, with the Indian delegation headed by Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Paramesh Sivamani, and the Sri Lankan delegation led by Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Ruwan Rupasena. The two Directors General co-chaired the meeting.

The meeting provided an important platform for reviewing and advancing bilateral maritime cooperation through enhanced operational coordination, capacity-building initiatives, professional training and the exchange of technical expertise and best practices.

Key areas discussed included coordination in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, preparedness and response to maritime pollution incidents, information sharing, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and the standardisation of communication procedures.

The two delegations also discussed establishing mechanisms to exchange operational experiences and lessons learned, particularly in relation to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, with the objective of further strengthening the operational capabilities of both Coast Guards.

The High-Level Meeting is an annual bilateral engagement conducted alternately in India and Sri Lanka under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two Coast Guard services. The 7th meeting was held in Colombo in 2024, while the 8th meeting took place in New Delhi in 2025.