UK and South Africa in abrupt pull out from Galle Dialogue 2011

By Shamindra Ferdinando 

UK and South Africa pulled out of Galle Dialogue 2011 at the 11th hour, while Dr. W Lawrence S. Prabhakar, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science of Madras Christian College, Chennai, indicated his inability to present a paper titled "Non Military Applications in Regional Maritime Domain; Opportunities, Trends and Challenges" due to reasons beyond his control. 

Authoritative sources told The Sunday Island that Captain S. Balakrishnan

would present a paper on "Indian Navy’s Perspective on Regional Maritime

Cooperation; The Way - Ahead", though an officer holding a senior rank

was earlier expected to make the presentation. Balakrishnan is Principal

Director Naval Operations, Indian Navy.  

Among the countries expected to take part in the two-day maritime conference to discuss ways and means of enhancing cooperation among the global community are US, China, Pakistan France, Australia, Japan, the Maldives, UAE, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Oman and Qatar.  

US Defence Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Southeast Asia Robert Scher is due to attend the confab, ‘Challenges and Strategic Cooperation for Indian Ocean Maritime Concerns’ at the Light House Hotel, Galle tomorrow (Nov. 14). 

Scher is scheduled to present a paper on the ‘importance of common strategies for global and regional maritime security’ on the first day of the conference. The visiting official is an Asian expert, who had served the State Department before joining the Defence Department. 

The Galle Dialogue 2011, an initiative of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is the second of the series since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009. The first was held in Aug. 2010 in Galle. Monday’s keynote address will be delivered by Defence Secretary Rajapaksa.

 Hits: 34     Send to Friend