National Security Adviser Ajit Doval conducted bilateral meetings with counterparts from Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Bangladesh on July 15 during the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs Conclave in New Delhi.
The discussions, held on the sidelines of the multilateral summit, focused on securing India’s borders and deepening regional cooperation on maritime security, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism.
Maritime Security and Southern Frontier
Doval’s first meeting was with Sri Lankan Defence Secretary AVM Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), addressing vulnerabilities in India’s southern maritime frontier. Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean, a hub for global shipping lanes, underscored the need for robust maritime agreements and security cooperation to monitor foreign naval activity.
Act East Policy and Cross-Border Coordination
With Thailand’s National Security Council Secretary-General Chatchai Bangchuad, Doval advanced India’s Act East policy by finalizing operational frameworks for intelligence sharing, law enforcement, and cybersecurity. These measures aim to protect cross-border infrastructure, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, from transnational crime.
India-Bangladesh Security Ties
Talks with Bangladesh’s Defence Adviser Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam focused on combating cross-border militancy and illegal immigration, given the porous land border shared by the two nations. Strengthening these ties is critical for stabilizing India’s northeastern states.
The bilateral approach signals a shift in India’s strategy: leveraging multilateral summits to facilitate direct, actionable diplomacy for tangible security outcomes.
