Held at the Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting saw MrShahid reaffirming his government’s commitment to focus on strengthening maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean and also acknowledging the “important role” played by the Indian Armed Forces in enhancing and developing the capacity of the Maldives National Defence Force.

“Delighted to meet with Vice Admiral A.K. Chawla, Flag Officer, C-in-C, Southern Naval Command of Indian Navy. Discussed the importance of cooperation between countries in maintaining peace & security in the Indian Ocean Region, especially in light of emerging security threats,” the minister tweeted after the meeting.

Shahid was accompanied by the country’s Foreign Secretary, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed and Joint Secretary, India Division, MariyamMidhfaNaeem at the meeting.

Building bridges of friendship, Indian Navy’s elite marine commandos unit MARCOS have held joint training exercises with the strategically located neighbor since 2017, contributing to the capacity building of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Marines and enhancing the interoperability of the forces.