With PM Modi In Maldives, Here's How India Reacted To Chinese Vessels' Presence In Indian Ocean

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.(File Photo: ANI)

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday said that Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu expressed his commitment to the importance the Maldives attaches to security-related issues and the commitment of both sides to continue working together.

Misri said that the Maldives has stated that security is an issue of mutual interest regarding India's concerns over foreign vessels in the region.

This comes after reports of a Chinese research vessel, suspected to be a surveillance ship, completing a 51-day deployment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the Arabian Sea in May this year.

Misri also added that India continues to work very closely with the Maldives on any issues that might impinge on not just India’s security, but the common security of both countries in this shared region.

"Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu expressed his commitment to the importance that the Maldives attaches to security-related issues and the commitment of the two sides to continue to work together. There is quite a high frequency of contacts between security authorities of the two countries and the engagement at various levels...This remains an important issue, and we continue to work very closely together with the Maldives on any issues that might impinge on not just our security, but our common security in this region that we share," Misri said.

Speaking about the hydrographic agreement not being renewed by the Maldives last year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that India is in constant contact with its counterparts in the Maldives and is working on capacity building there.

“In the field of hydrography, we are in constant contact with our counterparts in the Maldives, and we are working on capacity building in the Maldives. We are providing training in the Maldives to help Maldivian personnel develop their capabilities in this area. This is not a subject that is limited or confined to any specific agreement or discussion, but rather an area where both sides continuously engage in dialogue. As I mentioned, the focus now is on building capacity within the Maldives itself,” he said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to the Maldives from July 25 to 26, on Friday jointly inaugurated the state-of-the-art Ministry of Defence (MoD) building in Male with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu. Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the eleven-storey building was constructed with India's financial assistance.