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By Manjeet Negi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over a Fast Patrol Vessel and a Landing Craft Assault ship to the Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) on Tuesday. On the first day of his three-day official visit, Singh held talks with his Maldivian counterpart and Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid. He also met with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and discussed the progress of various developmental projects undertaken by India in the Maldives.
As per the Ministry of Defence, the Fast Patrol Vessel, capable of coastal and offshore surveillance at high speeds, was commissioned as the MNDF Coast Guard ship Huravee.
‘INDIA-MALDIVES’ SHARED COMMITMENTS’
Speaking on the occasion, Rajnath Singh described the handing over of the two ‘Made in India’ platforms as a symbol of the shared commitment of both nations and their objectives towards peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
He stated that India, through a robust defence ecosystem, has significantly enhanced its manufacturing capabilities to further support the capacity building of partner countries.
“India has emerged as a leading defence exporter in recent years. A defence manufacturing ecosystem has been created which has the advantage of abundant technical manpower. We produce world-class equipment to meet not only our own needs, but also for exports. India offers an enhanced defence partnership to friendly foreign countries, that is accommodative of their national priorities and capacities. We wish to create symbiotic relationships where we can learn from each other, grow together and create a win-win situation for all. India’s commitment to supporting the Maldives will only get stronger with time,” the Raksha Mantri said.
Rajnath Singh recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Maldives in June 2019, wherein he emphasised that ‘Neighbourhood First’ was the priority and in the neighbourhood, ‘Maldives is priority’
“The Indian Ocean is our shared space. The primary responsibility for peace, stability and prosperity in the region rests with those who live in the region. Peace and security of a region are best secured with the cooperation and collaboration of the regional players,” he said.
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He spoke about sustainable exploitation of resources and climate change as the most important common challenges faced by the IOR and called for collaborative efforts towards ensuring the maritime expanse of the Indian Ocean.
Sustainable exploitation of maritime resources is an important means for sustained growth and development of nations across the IOR, he said.
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