1.         Sri Lanka being an Island Nation, geographically situated in a strategically important location in the Indian Ocean has been a focal point of maritime activities through sea borne trade and commerce along its history. It was through sea trade that Sri Lanka was known for years. Therefore, secure Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) around our adjacent seas, had been and will be a key factor for country’s prosperity, especially in a globalised world increasingly dependent upon sea trade. 

2.         Two years since defeating terrorism, the county displays a yearning to grab lost opportunities for economic progress. The long term strategies for the country’s development indicate the desire to join hands with other emerging economies and also transform to a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean.

3.         The Indian Ocean also remains a key geographical region of strategic, economic and socio political action. Many of the world’s most important sea lines of communication are through the waters of Indian Ocean. It is also characterised with cooperation and competition by regional and extra regional powers. Beyond such traditional competition we see the emergence of other threats such as terrorism, narcotic and gun smuggling, human trafficking and most importantly piracy which is changing the maritime security dynamics in the region.

4.         Today, the security of shipping in the Indian Ocean faces severe threat from sea piracy dominant off the Somali coast. This is steadily increasing to target shipping in the region. In spite of tremendous sea control efforts by multinational maritime deployments in threatened sea lanes and choke points, piracy seems to thrive unhindered. Therefore maintaining maritime security and stability has attained colossal significance with regard to freedom of navigation and uninterrupted commerce.   

5.         In the years ahead Navies in the region while continuing to protect respective national interests will have to face a multitude of other challenges as well in protecting the busy international sea lanes in the region. Inevitably, Sri Lanka Navy will be an active partner in the maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region, especially due to the strategically vital location the country is situated.      

6.         In this setting, littorals of Indian Ocean faces greater challenges in forging their national interests and maritime strategy. It is the common belief that the continued progress of these economies depend on cooperation, common strategies and sharing of resources to ensure the security of the Indian Ocean, which is also vital to other nations depended on these seas.  

7.         The “Galle Dialogue” initiative of last year created a forum to discuss and exchange matters of regional maritime security concerns. The follow on, “Galle Dialogue 2011” as directed by the Ministry of Defence will be organized by Sri Lanka Navy and held at Lighthouse Hotel, Galle on 14th and 15th November 2011 with local and foreign participation from the maritime fraternity. The Dialogue this year will aim to continue the discussion with experiences of events over the past 15 months. The theme for “Galle Dialogue 2011” would be “Challenges and Strategic Cooperation for Indian Ocean Maritime Concerns”.