Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Maldives and India will work together for the safety and security of the Indian Ocean and will increase cooperation in hydrography.
He made the remarks in a joint statement with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Monday. The joint statement was delivered after official talks were held between the two leaders in New Delhi.
"We will work together for the stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region. We will enhance cooperation in hydrography and disaster response," Modi said.
Despite Modi's remarks, the government of President Muizzu earlier decided to cancel a hydrography agreement signed with India by the previous administration of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
The agreement - which was made to study the country's reefs and lagoons and to draw charts - required notice of termination to be provided six months before it expires.
The agreement expired on June 7 and the government said at the end of last year that the notice to scrap the agreement had been issued to the Indian government.
According to the government, the main reason for not renewing the hydrography agreement was to ensure that "only Maldivians" would know information about Maldivian waters.
Under the hydrography agreement, India has the right to sell charts based on data collected by the survey to foreign parties, according to information revealed by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) in November 2021.
