Rajnath Singh begins 3-day Maldives visit: A look at India’s ties with the island nation

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has started his three-day Maldives visit on Monday. During his stay, he will hand over fast patrol vessel and a landing craft to the Maldives National Defence Forces.

The entire gamut of defence relations between India and Maldives will be reviewed during the deliberations, India’s defence ministry said in a statement.

Rajnath’s visit is seen as an “important landmark in building the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries,” the statement added.

The Honorable Defence Minister of India, H.E. @rajnathsingh, arrives on an official visit to the Maldives, on the invitation of his Maldivian counterpart Defence Minister of Maldives, H.E. @MariyaDidi
@HCIMaldives pic.twitter.com/HbCgx2lCNj

— Ministry of Defence (@MoDmv) May 1, 2023

India-Maldives relations

India was among the first to recognise Maldives after its independence in 1965. Both the countries share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the relationship of India with the Maldives is free of any politically contentious issues. "The one‐time claim of Maldives to Minicoy Island was resolved by the Maritime Boundary Treaty of 1976 between the two countries, whereby Maldives has recognised Minicoy as an integral part of India," the ministry said.

Maldives' trust and friendship with India strengthened after New Delhi's prompt assistance to the island nation during the 1988 coup attempt.

India was the first to help Maldives during the 2004 Tsunami and also during the water crisis in Male in December 2014.

During the peak Covid phase, India was quick to assist all it neighbours and other nations including Maldives with vaccine.

In January 2020, India was swift to dispatch of 30,000 doses of measles vaccine to prevent an outbreak in the Maldives.

India-Maldives defence & security

Defence and security have been major areas of cooperation between India and Maldives since 1988. "India has adopted a very flexible and accommodating approach in meeting Maldivian requirements of defence training and equipment. A comprehensive Action Plan for Defence was also signed in April 2016 to consolidate defence partnership," the external affairs ministry said.

India has also been providing the largest number of training opportunities for Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting around 70 per cent of their defence training requirements.

Indian Navy has deployed 10‐member Marine Commando (mobile training teams) MTT to Maldives in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 and also provided MNDF with air assets for air surveillance, MEDEVAC, SAR, Helo‐borne vertical insertion capability.

"Our defence cooperation also extends to the areas of Joint Exercises ['Ekuverin', 'Dosti', 'Ekatha' and 'Operation Shield' (begun in 2021)], Maritime Domain Awareness, Joint Hydrography, gifting of hardware, infrastructure development, etc. Key projects in the defence sector include Composite Training Centre (CTC) for MNDF, Coastal Radar System (CRS) and construction of new Ministry of Defence Headquarters," the MEA said.

Bilateral Economic & Trade Relations

India and Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981 which provides for export of essential commodities. In July 2021, India extended the agreement on quotas for restrictions‐free export of 9 essential commodities to the Maldives for the next three years.

India‐Maldives bilateral trade crossed the $300 million mark for the first time in 2021, reaching an impressive $323.29 million. Trade registered a growth of over 31 per cent over the previous year.

India’s imports from Maldives mainly include scrap metals while Indian exports to Maldives include a host of engineering and industrial products including drugs and pharmaceuticals, radar apparatus, rock boulders, aggregates, cement and agriculture produce like rice, spices, fruits, vegetables and poultry produce.

In 2021, the Maldives government signed an agreement with Mumbai-based company AFCONS, for the construction of Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP). It was inked a year after India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar visited Maldives and announced the signing of a $500 million infrastructure project.

This infrastructure project, the largest-ever by India in the Maldives, included the construction of a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link that would connect the Maldives capital Male with the neighbouring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

As per the India’s High Commission in Maldives, the project was funded by India in a grant of $100 million, with a line of credit of $400 million.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.