Delegates from the Max Planck Foundation attend conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Conference, held from 31 August to 1 September 2017, was organised by the India Foundation in association with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, and the National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Colombo. It was hosted by Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, at his Temple Trees residence in Colombo. The event brought together speakers and delegates from a large number of Indian Ocean rim states and other concerned nations to discuss what the counties of the region can do to achieve “Peace, Progress, and Prosperity”. Discussion at the Conference centred on how the implementation of international obligations can help to ensure the continued realization of these three objectives for Indian Ocean states.
Beginning with parallel pre-conference symposia on these issues, there was then an inaugural session and a special plenary, followed by a conference dinner hosted by the Prime Minister. The second day included a keynote from S Jaishankar, the Indian Foreign Secretary, and further plenaries on peace, progress and prosperity. The concluding valedictory session featured the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena.
The Conference was an important opportunity for the delegates from the Foundation to deepen understanding of the challenges faced in this region and to establish connections for possible future cooperation.