The Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to strengthen defence cooperation. The discussion was held during a meeting between Lieutenant General Engineer Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the UAE Armed Forces, and Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi.
Minister Mariya travelled to the UAE to participate in the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2023) in Abu Dhabi. During the visit, Minister Mariya held a meeting with CDS Saif and discussed promoting cooperation and diplomatic relations between the two countries, especially in the area of defence. They also noted the importance of exhibitions such as IDEX and the Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX) for decision-makers and defence specialists.
Afterwards, Minister Mariya said they had a productive meeting and that they spoke on how defence cooperation is the key to lasting peace. She also said IDEX 2023 was impressive with many new products on display and that she was looking forward to enhancing defence cooperation between the two countries.