Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has stated that the newly commissioned Coastguard ship will strengthen the maritime security in the Maldives. She made the remark at the ceremony held to commission the new patrol vessel donated by India to replace the largest ship in the Coastguard fleet, CGS Huravee.
At the ceremony, Minister Mariya highlighted the importance of the government’s India First policy and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s visits to the neighbouring country. She said that maintaining strong relations with India is the government’s most important foreign policy initiative and that the Maldives will continue to work to maintain peace and security in the region.
Additionally, Minister Mariya noted that the administrations of President Solih and Prime Minister Narendra Modi prioritise the interests of both countries. She said that maritime security is particularly important for the Maldives as 99% of the country consists of ocean territory, which leads to various issues such as illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and accidents at sea.
Furthermore, Minister Mariya highlighted that the Maldives initially relied on smaller vessels with limited offensive capabilities when the Coastguard fleet was first established, which posed challenges in patrolling the seas. She, however, added that the situation improved with the commissioning of more capable vessels, notably, the CGS Huravee donated by India in 2006, played a crucial role in significantly enhancing the country's ability to patrol its vast ocean territory. She added that India had covered the cost of refitting CGS Huravee and decided to donate a new replacement ship and a landing craft during President Solih’s visit to India in August 2022.
The new CGS Huravee consists of three water jets and has greater maneuverability than the old ship. It is also more fuel efficient and has less operational costs. The new landing craft was also handed over to the Maldives during the ceremony.