India and Maldives reaffirm importance of maintaining stability, security in Indian Ocean

 

 

INDIA and the Maldives on Wednesday reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security in the Indian Ocean as they underscored the significance of respecting international law and rules-based international order, amid China’s growing influence in the strategically vital region.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who arrived here on Monday on the invitation of his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Didi, also jointly laid the foundation stone for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Ekatha harbour in Male in keeping with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR or Security And Growth for All in the Region.The development of the Coastguard Harbour and repair facility at Sifavaru is one of the biggest grant-in-aid projects of India. The Maldivian Defence Minister described Singh’s visit as “a major milestone in the bilateral defence cooperation engagements” between the two countries. “His visit epitomises the strong sisterly bond that exist between our two nations from time immemorial,” she said.