The defence collaboration between India and the Maldives has reached its zenith, according to the Maldives’ defence minister.

25 April (ANI): Male [Maldives], Male [Maldives], Male [Maldives], Male [Maldives Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of Naval Staff, picked the Maldives for his maiden overseas tour, highlighting the importance of the bilateral partnership between India and the Maldives, since the two nations have common perspectives on maritime security problems.

Admiral Hari Kumar met with President Ibrahim Mohamad Solih, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, and Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, as well as the Chief of Defence Force, Major General Abdulla Shamaal, over the course of his three-day visit to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) in the areas of maritime information, maritime domain awareness, bilateral maritime agreements, and capacity-building initiatives.

According to Policy Research Group, Mariya Didi commended India for always offering prompt and unconditional support to the island nation, emphasising that the India-Maldives defence alliance is at its apex.

The Maldives is not only one of India’s most important development partners in South Asia, but also a reliable and trustworthy defence and security partner, particularly now that defence cooperation is becoming increasingly important for maintaining peace and stability in the Southern Indian Ocean Region, according to Policy Research Group.

“CNS’s first overseas visit, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Five S’ Vision, further consolidated the long-standing bilateral relations between two near maritime neighbours,” the Indian Navy’s spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

“New options for broadening the scope of bilateral cooperation in the defence and maritime sphere have been discovered,” he added.

Admiral Hari Kumar unveiled the first ‘Navigation Chart,’ co-produced by India and the Maldives, and handed over hydrography equipment to strengthen the Maldives National Defence Force’s organic capabilities (MNDF). On April 18, the Indian Navy’s chief of staff hosted a reception onboard the INS Sutlej, which is currently undertaking a collaborative hydrographic survey in Maldivian waters.

The Maldives has become closer to India’s broader Indo-Pacific security area in South Asia, according to Policy Research Group. Furthermore, this defence and security alliance has the potential to strengthen the Maldives’ strategic role in the Indo-Pacific security space.

Several high-level defence visits have taken place between the two countries.

The Indo-Maldives relationship has always prioritised development collaboration. New Delhi has granted approximately USD 1.2 billion in lines of credit for infrastructure development in the island nation, as well as many grants for community development initiatives.

Defence and security cooperation has been a prominent topic of collaboration between India and the Maldives since 1988. This collaboration includes supporting the Maldives with defence training and equipment. According to POREG, India provides the highest training possibilities for MNDF soldiers, satisfying nearly 70% of their defence training requirements.

Apart from defence and security collaboration, India and the Maldives have recently strengthened their strategic cooperation to include counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts. (ANI)

This report was generated automatically by the ANI news service. Its content is not the responsibility of ThePrint.