Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the support of everyone is essential to combat illegal activities taking place in the Indian Ocean and to put an end to drug trafficking.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the 12th edition of the International Maritime conference “ The Galle Dialogue 2025,” organized by the Sri Lanka Navy under " Maritime Outlook of the Indian Ocean under Changing Dynamics,” held at the Navy Wave and Lake Banquet Hall in Welisara.
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.
The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence AVM Sampath Thuyacontha, Chief of the Indian Navy Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Commander of the Army Lt. Gen. Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Vasubandhu Edirisinghe, Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, Chief of Staff of the Navy Rear Admiral Damian Fernando, and other officials representing the Tri-Forces.
Prime Minister’s Media Division