India's defence minister Rajnath Singh handed over a swift patrol ship and a landing craft to the Maldives while urging increased cooperation between like-minded states to tackle shared problems in the Indian Ocean, an area that witnessed increasing Chinese aggressiveness.
On the second day of his visit, Singh also discussed the extension of defence ties with the president of the island nation, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and gave him an assurance that India would continue to support the Maldives.
After handing over the two platforms to the Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) as India's "gift" at a ceremony in Male, the defence minister described the relationship between the two countries as "truly special" and said it has evolved as a model for the entire region to follow. Outlining India's policy to engage with friendly nations, he said New Delhi wishes to "create symbiotic relationships where it can create a win-win situation for all and that it offers defence partnership while being accommodative of the national priorities of the countries".
"The Indian Ocean is our shared space. The primary responsibility for peace, stability and prosperity in the region rests with those who live in the region. Peace and security of a region are best secured with cooperation and collaboration of the regional players," Singh said.