India's defence minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral discussions with his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon in Delhi. He comprehensively reviewed various aspects of bilateral defence and security cooperation, the government said in a statement.
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 statement added.
The defence minister reaffirmed India’s readiness to support Maldives in capability enhancement for defence preparedness, including provisioning of defence platforms and assets to augment its capacities, as per its national priorities and in line with New Delhi’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy and the vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region).
“India will continue to support the Maldives and the Maldives National Defence Force in their capacity-building efforts through projects, equipment and training. As a trusted partner and a close friend, I assure you that India will continue to support Maldives on its development needs and welfare of its people,” Singh was quoted as saying.
On the other hand, the Maldivian minister hailed India's role as the 'First Responder’ for the Maldives, thanking New Delhi for assisting Male in augmenting the modern infrastructural capacities and training of defence and security personnel. On Mohamed Muizzu government's request, India handed over defence equipment and stores to the Maldives.
