President of Geopolitical Cartographer Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Defence Minister Jayasekara, and Ambassador Akio ISOMATA highlighted the importance of close collaboration for the Indian Ocean Region.

During the morning session, representatives from UNODC, Sri Lanka Navy, Japan Coast Guard, Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) shared insightful presentations on their respective practices related to Maritime Domain Awareness. This was followed by an engaging panel discussion entitled “Enhancing Maritime Awareness in the Indian Ocean Region: Challenges and Interagency Collaboration,” with participation from Sri Lanka Navy, MNDF, Bangladesh Navy, and Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

In the afternoon, participants observed an informative demonstration of a fishing vessel Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy at the Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour.

In the Evening participants joined in a Working Dinner