India hands over defence equipment worth Rs 35 crore to Maldives

In a move to strengthen defence ties, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Maldives Defence Minister Mohammed Ghassan Maumoon held key talks in Delhi on Wednesday. The talks were aimed to bring new ‘vigour’ in defence cooperation, with a key focus on strengthening maritime security, information exchange, and enhancing the capability of the Maldives National Defence Forces through training. On the sidelines, India handed over defence equipment valued at Rs 35 crore (over $4 million) to the Maldives at their request. The equipment included utility vehicles and berthing items, among other things.

“Several issues pertaining to deepening defence cooperation were discussed which would also help in enhancing the capability of Maldives National Defence Forces. Today’s discussions will add new vigour to India-Maldives relations,” the statement said.

The Indian and the Maldives defence ministers agreed to accelerate the Ekatha Harbour Project at Sifavaru in the Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) atoll. This project, one of the largest grant-in-aid projects by the Indian government, involves constructing a naval dockyard and is designed to bolster the capacity of the Maldives National Defence Force’s Coast Guard. The foundation stone for this initiative was laid by Rajnath Singh and then Maldives Defence Minister Mariya Didi in May 2023.

Minister Maumoon’s is the second ministerial visit from the Maldives in the new year to India, after the visit of foreign minister Abdulla Khaleel.

“During the talks, both sides reasserted the firm commitment to work closely in realising the joint vision for the India-Maldives Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership,” the Indian readout emphasised.

Further, they discussed the maintenance and lease extension of Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives. India in the past has provided Dornier aircraft and maritime vessels to the Maldives, which are used for surveillance and medical evacuation. An invitation was extended to Minister Maumoon to attend Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru next month.

It was the first defence ministerial visit from the Maldives since the Muizzu government assumed office in November 2023. The Delhi talks encompassed topics like Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) involving all three services, military exercises, and the Maldives Coastal Radar System, which is part of India’s initiative to enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region. The radar system, comprising 10 stations, was handed over by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to the Maldives’ Chief of Defence Force, Maj Gen Abdulla Shamaal, in March 2022.

Relations between India and the Maldives, which had experienced a downturn in the past, have seen a positive upswing, especially following visits of President Muizzu to India and EAM Dr. S Jaishankar to the Maldives last year. The Maldives government has also made clear its stance by distancing itself from the “India Out” campaign, attributing it to former President Yameen.