In a significant move, the Maldives has signed an agreement with the US' Montana National Guard State Partnership Program to build and enhance its defense capacity. At a special ceremony held at the Integrated Headquarters of the Maldives National Defence Forces in Male, the archipelago's capital, Defense Minister Mariya Didi and the Adjutant General of Montana National Guard Major General John Hronek have signed the deal. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Mariya said that this partnership will go a long way in building the capacity and readiness of the country's defense forces to meet the challenges of today, reported Sun news. 

She also described the enrollment of the Maldives in such a prestigious program as one of the solid outcomes of the Framework Agreement signed in September 2020, which formalized the way forward in cementing US-Maldives Defence and Security cooperation.

“Today, by enrolling in this program, we (the President Solih administration) are reiterating our commitment to the deepening of the US-Maldives defense and security relationship, which has grown tremendously over the past three years,” Mariya Didi was quoted as saying by Sun news. 

The program, she said, was tailored to meet the unique requirements of Maldives’ defense and security landscape by facilitating engagements in key areas such as maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance & disaster relief, and other areas. 

The agreement with the US is among many initiatives Male has been taking to diversify its defense and security ties, with the US expanding its ties with the Indian Ocean archipelago and opening an embassy in Male as a recognition of its strategic location in the intersection of important sea lanes. 

In a sign of the growing maritime ties between New Delhi and Washington, India has welcomed the Maldives government’s decision to sign a military agreement with the US, the first that Male has signed with any country other than India. In the past, New Delhi had objected to both the US and China extending their strategic footprint in this part of the Indian ocean, considered India’s “sphere of influence”, The Hindu newspaper said.

(SAM)