India's Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Hari Kumar met the Maldives’ Defense Minister Mariya Didi in Male, the capital of the archipelago, and discussed the ways for further enhancing the cooperation between the Maldives security forces and the Indian Navy. She also thanked New Delhi for “swift and unconditional support”.

The Indian Navy chief,  who is on his first visit to the Maldives, a strategically located island in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), met senior government and military officials, including President Ibrahim Muhammed Solih and Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid.  

“Had a delightful meeting with CNS Adm Hari Kumar. We are indeed "united by the sea" & by our common goals to maintain peace/stability in IOR. There's so much we gain by the collaboration btw our 2 sisterly nations whose livelihood is so dependent on the ocean,” Mariya Didi tweeted on Tuesday.

The statement released by the Maldives’ Ministry of Defense said that discussions between the two were “focused on ways to further boost cooperation between MNDF and Indian Navy, in the area of maritime information sharing, maritime domain awareness, bilateral maritime agreements, and capacity-building initiatives.”

The visit by the Indian Navy chief came at a time when New Delhi has been strengthening defense and economic ties with countries in the Indian Ocean littoral, where China has gained a significant footprint in the last couple of years.

The Maldives' defense minister also extended appreciation for “the endless assistance and support offered by the Indian Navy in the maintenance and repair efforts of MNDF Coast Guard fleet. She further expressed confidence that training and joint exercises such as EKATHA will continue between MNDF and the Indian Navy.

In the last two years, the two countries have signed a number of agreements and helped enhance the capacities of the Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) in light of emerging challenges in the IOR.

Last week India also announced seven new high-impact community development programs (HICDps) in the Maldives with Indian grant assistance.
(SAM)