A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Maldives on ‘Training and Capacity Building Programme for Maldivian Civil Servants’ was operationalised yesterday (19 August), a press release by the government read.

The MoU, signed in June earlier in the year between the National Center for Good Governance (NCGG), India and the Civil Services Commission of Maldives envisaged capacity building activities for 1000 civil servants of Maldives at the NCGG over the next five years.

The agreement is part of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy which actively focuses on improving relations with the country’s South Asian neighbours. The policy encourages trade, connectivity and people-to-people contact between India and its neighbours to increase co-operation in the region.

As part of the discussions, the Indian and Maldivian sides formed a consensus on the dates and participation levels for the first ten training programmes from September, 2019 to December, 2020.

The first three training programs under the MoU would be held from 16-28 September, 2019 and 18-30 November, 2019 for 60 officers of the middle management level and from 2-14 December, 2019 for 30 officers of top management level.

The Vice President of Maldives congratulated the Indian delegation and thanked the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for early implementation of the June 2019 MoU on capacity building programs of Maldivian civil servants.