Insta
No Reason To Fear Indian Military Presence In Maldives, Says Its Defence Minister; Thanks Nation For Choppers
Swarajya Staff
Jan 23, 2019, 03:37 PM | Updated 03:37 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi has affirmed that the presence of Indian military personnel in her country was no reason to be concerned as the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) retained full control, in an interview with News 18.
Didi expressed her government's gratitude to India for providing the armed forces of her country with two Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and also for consenting to bear the cost of piloting and maintenance.
“The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) remains in full control of the helicopters. I don’t have any concerns over the Indian pilots because they remain under Maldivian command and control. We should be very grateful to the pilots, because they have often risked their lives, flying in bad weather, to rescue stranded fishermen or airlift sick or injured Maldivians from remote islands and bring them to a hospital,” she stated.
She expressed regret over the fact that Maldivians were not signing up for pilot training, reasoning that it could be because of a preference for flying fixed-wing aircraft, which were more useful in the tourism sector.
Didi added that the Maldives should not be viewed as a small island state, but rather a big ocean state. She stated, “We have an enormous EEZ, and over 1,000 islands. This is a vast area to police and defend. Maritime security is, therefore, extremely important for us, and our ties with India help improve our maritime security.”
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.