Indian Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar met Maldives Defence Minister Mariya Didi in Male, the country's capital, discussed enhancing defense cooperation between the two countries. The unannounced visit came as part of the third high-level Defense Cooperation Dialogue. 

The visit came at a time when President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih’s government is increasingly under assault from opposition parties for forging closer defense and strategic cooperation with India, which they claim was compromising the nation's sovereignty. 

“Very productive meeting of 3rd India - Maldives Defence Cooperation Dialogue held today, co-chaired by Def Secy @drajaykumar_ias and @CDFofMNDF. Both sides discussed joint efforts and capacity-building measures to counter trans-national crimes and enhance security in the region,” the Indian High Commission said in a tweet. 

Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Didi expressed her deep appreciation for the Coast Guard Dockyard project—which the two nations signed last year—terming it the most comprehensive defence infrastructure development project carried out in the Maldives.

The project has lately become controversial, with Maldivian opposition parties accusing the government of keeping the details of the deal confidential.  The Solih government, however, argued that sensitive details of the deal would be shared with select senior opposition leaders at the right time. 

The Maldives Defense Ministry, releasing a statement on Sunday said the discussions focused on the immense and expanding India-Maldives defense cooperation in the past three years. 

The Indian official also assured Male that New Delhi was committed to further boosting the India-Maldives partnership.

Mariya Didi thanked India for the immense assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic with medical, humanitarian assistance, and technical support for the Maldivian National Defence Force, with more than 170 medical evacuations and 130 surveillance missions conducted in the past couple of years.

(SAM)