Article Posted on : - Oct 08, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu prior to a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI (PTI): India and the Maldives, as "natural partners", on Monday resolved to work together in advancing maritime and security cooperation for the benefit of peoples of both the countries as well as the Indian Ocean Region.

A vision document, which was issued after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in New Delhi, also said the two countries share common challenges in the Indian Ocean Region.

The document – India and Maldives: A Vision for Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership – said that the two sides agreed to "inaugurate at an early date the state-of-the-art Maldivian Ministry of Defence (MoD) building in Male, constructed with India's assistance, that will augment modern infrastructural capacity of the MoD".

India and the Maldives share common challenges in the Indian Ocean Region which have multi-dimensional implications for the security and development of both the countries, it said.

"As natural partners, they resolve to work together in advancing the maritime and security cooperation for the benefit of peoples of both India and Maldives as well as for the larger Indian Ocean Region," the two countries said in the document.

The Maldives, with its vast Exclusive Economic Zone, is exposed to traditional and non-traditional maritime challenges including piracy, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing, drug smuggling, and terrorism, it said.

The two countries agreed that India, as "a trusted and dependable partner", will work closely with Maldives in sharing of expertise, augmenting capabilities and undertake joint cooperative measures, as per needs and requirements of the island nation.

They also agreed that the ongoing Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) 'Ekatha' harbour project at Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) with India's assistance will significantly contribute towards enhancing MNDF's operational capabilities, and agreed to extend full support for its timely completion, the document added.

New Delhi and Male also agreed to support the Maldives with provisioning of defence platforms and assets to augment capabilities of MNDF as well as that of the government of Maldives in advancing its maritime and security requirements in line with its national priorities.

The two sides agreed to support the Maldives in enhancing surveillance and monitoring capability of MNDF with the provisioning of radar systems and other equipment, and to support the archipelago nation on hydrographic matters, including, through capacity building and training, as per the requirements of the government of Maldives, it said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at an evening briefing in New Delhi said the Maldives has always been a key part, an integral part of India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, and the SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region) vision.

"This relationship is historic, it's been underpinned by very close people-to-people ties, by trade and economic relations and by a very, very substantive developmental partnership between the two countries," he said.

Misri said this vision document is a blueprint for a relationship that has been charted out in the last several years and provides a framework for the ongoing visit.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the area of disaster response and risk mitigation, including through development of SOPs and exercises to achieve enhanced interoperability, the document said.

As also to assist the Maldives in the domain of information sharing by supporting the development of capabilities through infrastructure, training and sharing of best practices, it added.

Besides, they agreed to "increase capacity building and training slots for MNDF, Maldives Police Services, and other security organisations of Maldives under the ITEC programmes and other customised training programmes in India" and to extend financial assistance to develop and upgrade MNDF infrastructure.