Sri Lanka: Galle Dialogue 2012 about to Kick Off

The International Maritime Security Conference, “Galle Dialogue 2012”, organized by the Sri Lanka Navy under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence, gets underway in the port city of Galle on 13th December 2012. Local and foreign scholars and experts in maritime and naval affairs representing 29 countries are expected to share their views at this two-day dialogue held under the theme, “Strategic Maritime Cooperation and Partnership to face the Future with Confidence”, at the Lighthouse Hotel on 13th and 14th December.

Secretary of Defence, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session where the welcome remarks will be made by Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage. During the first session, Minster of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Professor G.L. Peiris will address the august gathering.

The “Galle Dialogue” initiative, inaugurated in 2010, created a forum to discuss and exchange views on regional maritime security concerns. The follow on, “Galle Dialogue 2011”, continued the discussion under the theme, “Challenges and Strategic Cooperation for Indian Ocean Maritime Concerns”. Its third edition, “Galle Dialogue 2012” this year, stresses the achieving of maritime security and prosperity is not the responsibility of a single country alone but of all nations and partners concerned.

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Naval Today Staff, December 12, 2012; Image: Sri Lanka Navy