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16-17 May 2017, the VIF and Pathfinder Foundation, Sri Lanka, jointly held a three-session Round Table Discussion on India-Sri Lanka bilateral cooperation. The focus was on promoting ‘blue economy’, relatively a new concept that focuses on sustainable exploitation of marine resources for benefits of the world in general and that for the coastal states in particular. The first session focused on sustainable exploitation of aquatic living resources like fish and other life forms. The second session was devoted to looking at ways and means of jointly exploring the non-living resources, primarily of the sea-bed. The third and concluding session delved into imperatives of maritime security in our neighbourhood which will facilitate such developmental efforts.

The Pathfinder Foundation delegation was led by Amb Bernard Goonetilleke, former Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka and Chairman, Pathfinder Foundation, and comprised the following members: Adm (Dr) Jayanath Sri Kumara Columbage (retd), Director, Centre for Indo-Lankan Initiative, Pathfinder Foundation, Mr. Tilak Siri Dharmaratne, Vice Chancellor, Ocean University of Sri Lanka, and Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvanathan, Principal Researcher, Point Pedro Institute of Development, Sri Lanka.

The VIF had an equally impressive panel of experts for the engagement, comprising Dr. Shailesh Nayak, Distinguished Scientist and President 36th International Geological Congress, Earth System Science Organisation, MoES, Government of India, Dr. Vijay Sakhuja, Director, National Maritime Foundation (India), and Commodore Gopal Suri, Senior Fellow, VIF, among others.