New Delhi: President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives announced that his nation will not be extending its hydrographic surveying arrangement with India. Rather, the Maldives plans to purchase the facilities and tools required to conduct these studies on its own.
He also declared his intention to install a round-the-clock surveillance system for the waters surrounding the Maldives this month in an effort to improve control over the country’s expansive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Days after China and the Maldives inked a defense cooperation pact to exchange free military support in an effort to strengthen bilateral relations, this development takes place. Since pro-China Muizzu took power last year, relations between India and the Maldives have faced difficulties.
Soon after taking office in November 2023, Muizzu promised to protect the sovereignty of the Maldives, and according to PTI, one of his first actions would be to demand that India remove all of its troops.
The decision made by President Muizzu coincides with recent events, such as the appearance of a Chinese research vessel close to Male and beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Maldives.
Speaking during a ceremony on Monday while on a visit to one of the islands, Muizzu stressed the Maldives’ efforts to acquire the resources required to carry out hydrographic studies on their own.
This will enable the Maldives to carry out independent underwater surveys throughout the nation. The president was cited as stating, “We will then gather all insights of our underwater features and prepare charts, they will be drawn by us,” on Tuesday by the news portal Edition.mv.
The Agreement President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s Former Government Signed
The accord, which was inked during President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s previous administration, made it easier to work with India to scan and gather information about the underwater bodies of the Maldives.
“We made the decision not to extend our contract with the Indian government to conduct an underwater body scan and obtain all relevant data. According to Muizzu, all of these underwater information are part of our legacy and belong to us. Previously, the Maldives had to buy all of these maps and survey data from India.
The declaration highlights the Maldives’ plan to evaluate over 100 accords inked by past administrations, including its ties with India.For the first time, Muizzu has discussed his government’s plans for a hydrographic survey in public.
the choice to cease the partnership on hydrographic surveys with India, which was started during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2019 Maldives visit. “The previous President had secured the parliament’s consent to enable these hydrography services in the Maldives and grant the Defense Ministry access to the facility,” Edition.mv stated.
President Muizzu announced intentions to build a 24-hour monitoring system for Maldivian waterways on Saturday, reaffirming his government’s commitment to bolstering maritime security and sovereignty. He underlined the significance of this effort while visiting Raa Meedhoo, telling PTI that the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is double the size of its landmass but has insufficient capacity for efficient monitoring.
“Even though the EEZ is a part of our land, we were unable to keep an eye on it. With God willing, we will start monitoring the waters in the Maldives in March.
According to the information received, the Maldives Coastguard presently depends on the regular support of the armed forces of its neighbors and carries out specific special patrolling operations in conjunction with foreign friends.
(This news report is from a syndicated feed. THND team members did not write or edit the content except for the headline.)
References :
- https://news.abplive.com/news/maldives-president-muizzu-ends-agreement-with-india-for-hydrographic-surveys-pm-modi-1669942
- https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/maldives-to-not-renew-hydrographic-survey-agreement-with-india-president-muizzu-420347-2024-03-06
- https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/maldives-survey-pact-india-hydrographic-explained-9069657/
