The Defence Minister of India, H.E. Rajnath Singh, paid a courtesy call to Defence Minister of Maldives, H.E. Mariya Didi, this afternoon. During the meeting, His Excellency Shri Rajnath Singh and Her Excellency Mariya Didi discussed a wide range of regional and global security issues of mutual concern, and agreed to further to strengthen the cooperation in the defence and security domains. Both Ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and security in the region, and recognized the need to work together to address common security challenges. They underscored the importance of respecting international law and the rules-based international order, and expressed their commitment to upholding these principles.
The Ministers welcomed the progress made in ongoing defence cooperation between the two neighbours, including joint exercises and exchanges of visits by military officials. They also noted the importance of sharing best practices and expertise in areas such as counterterrorism, disaster management, cybersecurity, and maritime security. The Ministers agreed to explore new avenues for cooperation, including in the areas of defence trade, capacity building and joint exercises. They also discussed the need to promote people-to-people contacts and exchanges between the armed forces of both countries.