New Delhi: Seeking to ramp up bilateral cooperation with Maldives, especially in the defence and security sectors, India has initiated work on the construction of the MNDF Coast Guard Harbour and repair facility at Sifavaru in the archipelago.
This is the biggest grant-in-aid project of India in Maldives and the foundation stone for it was laid by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who finished his three day visit to the island nation Thursday.
Singh’s visit comes at a time when the opposition in Maldives, led by former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, has been running an “India out” campaign.
Yameen Abdul is considered close to the Chinese and is trying to pressure the current government, led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, to cut India off from the important country in the Indian Ocean region.
China had managed to gain a strong foothold in the Maldivian economic system between 2013-2018 which included deals for large infrastructure projects and also signing a free trade agreement.
During this period, the government in power was that of the Progressive Party of Maldives and its ruling coalition under Yameen Abdul.
Indians handover more vessels to Maldives
India’s defence minister also handed over a fast patrol vessel to the Maldivian defence forces as a replacement for its vessel – the ageing Huravee.
Notably, Huravee was originally Indian Navy’s Trinkat-class patrol vessel which was handed over to Maldives in 2006 after being in service for about five years.
The vessel was refitted at the Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard in 2018.
Singh also gifted Maldives an additional Landing Craft, that can carry personnel and land equipment on the beach in case of an operation.
Talking about the Coast Guard Harbour and Repair facility, sources said this was something that the Maldivian government had requested for in 2013.
The entire project is scheduled to be completed in three years from now and will be in two phases, sources said.
India has been supporting the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) with supply of various systems, including Dornier aircraft for maritime surveillance and helicopters besides training.
A joint statement released Thursday, following talks between Singha and his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Didi, stated they agreed to explore additional avenues for cooperation, including in the areas of defence trade, capacity building and joint exercises.
They also noted the importance of sharing best practices and expertise in areas such as counter terrorism, disaster management, cyber security and maritime security.
Both Singh and Didi also agreed on the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security in the region and recognised the need to work together to address common security challenges.
They underscored the importance of respecting international law and rules-based international order and expressed their commitment to upholding these principles, the joint statement said.
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