– Sri Lanka has reiterated the importance of maintaining the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace, cooperation and shared prosperity amid evolving global security challenges .Defense Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.) made the remarks while addressing the 14th International Meeting of High-Ranking Officials Responsible for Security Matters held in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday (28).

During his address, the Defense Secretary highlighted the growing geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean and stressed the need to uphold freedom of navigation, respect for international law and constructive dialogue among nations to prevent regional tensions from escalating.He also underscored the importance of international cooperation, intelligence sharing and collective action in addressing modern security threats, including terrorism, cybercrime, maritime insecurity and climate-related risks.

The meeting brought together senior security officials from several countries to discuss emerging global and regional security concerns and ways to strengthen cooperation.