The Maldives and the United States have held discussions on expanding cooperation under an existing framework aimed at strengthening military ties between the two nations.
The discussions took place during a meeting between the Maldivian Ambassador to the United States, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, and the newly appointed Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard, Brigadier General Trent Gibson.
According to the Maldives Embassy in the U.S., the talks focused on further broadening the State Partnership Program (SPP) between the Maldives and the State of Montana and exploring new avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship.
The Maldives joined the State Partnership Program in 2022. The initiative is designed to provide specialized training to partner nations by leveraging the expertise and experience of U.S. National Guard units.
According to an official Montana State website, the state has established partnerships with four nations under this program: Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
The SPP is a federally funded program involving the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Defense.
"SPP directly supports the interests of the United States by engaging partner nations through military and civilian contacts at all levels," the official website states.
Maldives-US joint military exercise underway
The US Montana National Guard and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) launched the joint military exercise Black Marlin on Sunday.
Under this program, the fifth edition of joint military training exercises for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) was conducted last year.
Earlier in 2024, the Ministry of Defence held consultations with the Montana National Guard to further solidify military cooperation.
That meeting was led by the then-Minister of Defence, Ghassan Maumoon, representing the Maldives, while the Montana National Guard delegation was headed by the then-Adjutant General, Major General John Peter Hronek II.
Defense Minister meets Commander of Montana National Guards from the US
The meeting was held at the Defense Ministry and was attended by the Minister of Defense, Ghassan Maumoon. Adjutant General of Montana National Guards Major General John Peter Hronek II and his team attended the discussion.
The U.S. National Guard is a military branch composed of reserve components from each state. Control of the National Guard is shared between state governments and the federal government.
National Guard personnel are required to support the federal government during times of war, national emergencies, or disasters as declared by the President, the Secretary of Defense, or Congress. They are also mobilized when a state governor declares a state of emergency.
Most National Guard members hold civilian jobs while serving part-time. The reserve force currently comprises 443,543 personnel, with more than 4,000 stationed in the State of Montana.
Since President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office, diplomatic and military ties with the United States have continued to strengthen, marked by frequent visits from high-ranking U.S. government officials.
In March, Sergio Gor, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Central Asia, met with the Maldivian Defence Minister as part of ongoing efforts to enhance regional cooperation.
