India and Maldives Bolster Defence Ties with Strategic Talks and Equipment Handover

News

In a significant step to deepen defence cooperation, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Maldives Defence Minister Mohammed Ghassan Maumoon held high-level talks in Delhi on Wednesday. The discussions focused on enhancing maritime security, facilitating information exchange, and boosting the capabilities of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) through comprehensive training programs.

As part of the collaboration, India handed over defence equipment valued at ₹35 crore (over $4 million) to the Maldives, including utility vehicles and berthing items, further solidifying their partnership.

Both ministers agreed to expedite the Ekatha Harbour Project at Sifavaru in the Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) atoll. This ambitious initiative, one of India's largest grant-in-aid projects for the Maldives, will feature a state-of-the-art naval dockyard aimed at enhancing the MNDF Coast Guard's operational capacity.

Rajnath Singh emphasized that the talks and initiatives would inject “new vigour” into the defence ties between the two nations, fostering greater regional stability and cooperation.