Sri Lanka, Feb. 11 -- President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivered a keynote speech at the 7th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth, focusing on the theme "Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean."

President Wickremesinghe highlighted the critical need for enhanced connectivity infrastructure to accommodate the projected eight-fold increase in the GDP of countries like India and Indonesia by 2050.

Following is the full speech delivered by the President:

"The theme of this Conference - "Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean"- could not be more timely and more appropriate.

The Australasian continent is unique in that it has borders with both Indian and Pacific Oceans. Perth has played a crucial role in the history of Sri Lan...