India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has hailed India-Maldives ties as truly special and that it has evolved as a model for the entire region to follow. He said this in a ceremony after gifting 2 defence platforms to Male. He described the handing over of the two ‘Made in India’ platforms as a symbol of the shared commitment of both nations towards peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached Maldivian Capital Male on May 1, 2023, on the invitation of his Maldivian Counterpart Defence Minister Mariya Didi.
Singh handed over two ‘Made in India’ defence platforms and held bilateral talks to enhance defence cooperation and strengthen the partnership between India and Maldives when he met his counterpart Mariya Didi during his three-day visit to the neighboring country.
During his visit, Rajnath Singh and Mariya Didi held bilateral talks to enhance defence cooperation and strengthen the longstanding partnership between India and Maldives. hey discussed a wide range of regional and global security issues of mutual concern and agreed to deepen their cooperation in the defence and security domains.
Both Ministers reaffirmed 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.
“India has emerged as a leading defence exporter in recent years. A defence manufacturing ecosystem has been created which has the advantage of abundant technical manpower. We produce world-class equipment to meet not only our own needs, but also for exports. India’s commitment to supporting the Maldives will only get stronger with time,” Singh had said during the handover ceremony which was also attended by President of Maldives HE Solih.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the provision of the replacement ship for the aging Huravee, during President Solih’s visit to India back in 2022.
On Singh’s meeting with Solih, the defence ministry in Delhi said the Maldivian President expressed gratitude for India’s continued aid and support to the country in various sectors, stating that it is a testament to New Delhi’s special regard for it.
