India assures Maldives of stronger defence cooperation

NEW DELHI: India has reassured Maldives of its commitment to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, ranging from supply of military equipment and training to conduct of joint combat exercises, in the backdrop of ties between the two facing some rough weather during the internal power struggle in the archipelago over the last two years.

This came during the talks between defence minister AK Antony and his visiting Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nazim on Thursday. Antony also told Nazim that all Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) personnel will also be eligible for treatment in Indian military medical institutions for major surgeries and illnesses, in addition to training of Maldivian medical specialists in India.

As part of the ongoing training and "capacity-building of its armed forces, India will also hand over another Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH) to Maldives when Nazim visits the Southern Naval Command at Kochi on Saturday. "The ALH, the second such helicopter to be provided to Maldives, is expected to be positioned in Male by early-2014," said an official.

In the run up to the proposed visit of newly-elected Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen to India from December 23 to 25, Nazim will also be holding talks with home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, national security advisor Shivshankar Menon and others on Friday.

India remains wary of China's continuing efforts to expand its strategic footprint in the strategically-located 1,190-island archipelago in the Indian Ocean Region after establishing a full-fledged embassy there. Over the last decade, China has steadily forged maritime links with eastern Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia, among others.

India, on its part, has tried to counter these strategic moves in the IOR by stepping up its own defence engagement with the countries concerned. Ever since Antony's visit to Male in August 2009, for instance, Indian warships and Dornier reconnaissance aircraft have been regularly helping Maldives in maritime patrol and surveillance.

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