President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that the Coastguard will begin monitoring the new southern territory. He made the statement at a press conference after the Maldives received a majority share from the disputed territory near the Chagos Archipelago.
At the press conference, President Solih said that the cabinet has deliberated on the decisions to be made after the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruled that the Maldives should have a majority share from the disputed territory between the maritime boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago. As such, he said said that the Coastguard will begin patrolling the new territory, noting that foreign fishing vessels had been trespassing in the disputed territory and reap the benefits in the region. He said that these actions will be stopped and that authorities are holding discussions on providing more opportunities for Maldivian fishermen in the southern region.
Additionally, President Solih said that the southern border of the Maldives had not been fully demarcated till now and that the international tribunal's decision settled the disputed territory between Maldives and Seychelles in accordance with international laws. The President also noted that under the Law of the Sea Convention to which Maldives is a party to since 2000, disputed territories of overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) must be settled using the principle distance.
Furthermore, President Solih said the Maldives has become a nation with its maritime boundary fully settled in accordance with international law and that this decision is a victory for the Maldives and its people. He congratulated the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and the team that represented the Maldives in the case, adding that their work has resulted in the country not losing any territory.
The government has stated that the ITLOS Special Chamber's decision is favourable, as it ruled unanimously in favour of the Maldives on the claim of Mauritius to a continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. The tribunal also supported the claim of the Maldives that Blenheim reef cannot be used as a base point, resulting in the Maldives receiving 47,232sqkm of the overlapping area.