Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Maldives between May 1 to 3. During this visit, he will hold bilateral talks with his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Ahmed Didi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, an official source said.
The entire gamut of Defence relations between the two countries will be reviewed during the deliberations. Rajnath Singh will also call on Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Sources said in tune with India’s commitment to capacity building of friendly countries and partners in the region, Rajnath Singh would gift one Fast Patrol Vessel ship and a Landing Craft to the Maldives National Defence Forces.
The Defence Minister will also visit the ongoing project sites in the country and interact with the Indian diaspora. The visit will be an important landmark in building the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries.
“India and the Maldives are working closely to effectively address shared challenges, including maritime security, terrorism, radicalisation, piracy, trafficking, organised crime and natural disasters,” an official statement said.
India’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) along with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy as well as Maldives ‘India First’ policy seek to work together to jointly develop the capabilities within the Indian Ocean Region, the release said.
The Modi Government has given adequate importance to the relationship with the Maldives.
Earlier this year, in January, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also has been to Maldives.
It has also been stated that high-profile visits to the Maldives by Indian leaders and officials are testimony to the importance that India attaches to its close and friendly relations with that country.
During his visit to Maldives, Dr Jaishankar said, “We are good neighbours. We are strong partners. We have mutually invested in development and progress. But we also have a responsibility for peace and security in the region”.
It may be pointed out that the Maldives was the first country Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited in 2019 after taking over the reins of governance for the second consecutive term.
In 2021, the Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdullah Shahid, was elected as the President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly with an overwhelming majority. This is a post held on an annual basis, rotated amongst various regional groupings.
Maldives announced Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid’s candidature in December 2018. India announced its support for Abdullah Shahid during the visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla to Maldives in November 2020.
In mid-January 2021, in a surprising development and with less than six months before the elections, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul entered the fray. Maldives has never held the office of PGA, while Afghanistan has held this post during the 21st session in 1966-67.
Sources in the Indian Government said, “Both Maldives and Afghanistan have excellent relations with India, and both candidates are friends of India. However, since India had already committed its support to Maldives at a time when no other candidate was in the fray, India voted in favour of Maldives during polling”.
The office of the President of the general assembly is the highest office in the UN System and reflects the collective goodwill of the 193 Member States of the UN.
In fact, India has, for several years, invested heavily in the Maldives, providing military aid, training and “capacity-building”.
Maldives is just 1,200 km away from the Indian mainland. The country, home to around 23,000 Indians, is of strategic importance.
During his one-day visit to Maldives in June 2019, PM Modi held wide-ranging talks with Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. India and Maldives signed six agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
A coastal surveillance radar system and a composite training centre for the Maldives defence forces were also jointly inaugurated by PM Modi and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
