Seychelles Joins Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)

  • 25 Nov 2025

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The 7th National Security Adviser (NSA) level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave was held in New Delhi. Seychelles was inducted as the 6th full member, marking a significant expansion of the grouping and strengthening cooperative security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

About the CSC

  • Nature: Regional security grouping of Indian Ocean littoral states.
  • Members (2025): India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Bangladesh, and Seychelles.
  • Participants: National Security Advisors (NSAs) and Deputy NSAs for coordinated security cooperation.
  • Aim: Address shared transnational security challenges in the IOR.

Origin and Evolution

  • 2011: Began as Trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation (India–Sri Lanka–Maldives).
  • Post-2014: Momentum slowed due to regional geopolitical dynamics.
  • 2020: Revived and rebranded as the Colombo Security Conclave.
  • Expansion: Mauritius (2022), Bangladesh (2024), Seychelles (2025).

Core Objectives

  • Enhance regional security cooperation.
  • Tackle transnational threats of common concern through information-sharing, coordination, and capacity-building.

Pillars of Cooperation

  1. Maritime safety and security
  2. Counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation
  3. Combating trafficking and transnational organised crime
  4. Cyber security and protection of critical infrastructure
  5. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)

Institutional Framework

  • Permanent Secretariat: Colombo (ensures continuity and coordination).
  • Working Mechanism: Regular NSA and Deputy NSA–level meetings.

Significance for India

  • Strengthens India’s strategic influence in the IOR through coordinated maritime security, counter-terrorism, and cyber resilience.
  • Institutionalised NSA dialogue advances Neighbourhood First and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
  • Contributes to a stable, secure, and rules-based regional order.

Seychelles: Strategic Snapshot

  • Geography: Archipelagic state of 155 islands in the western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar; located on the Mascarene Plateau.
  • Capital: Victoria (Mahé Island).
  • Profile: Africa’s smallest and least populated country.
  • Strategic Importance: Sits astride key maritime trade routes; crucial for anti-piracy, maritime security, and the Blue Economy; an important partner in India’s IOR diplomacy and SAGAR vision.