Adhaalath Party (AP) has described the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on the maritime border depute with Mauritius as a major achievement for the Maldives.
In a statement, AP congratulated President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Maldivian citizens in light of the decision of ITLOS. In the statement, AP also highlighted the misleading statements opposing politicians regarding the decision of ITLOS, describing them as baseless.
Additionally, AP highlighted Article 3 of the Constitution which defines the territory of the Maldives as an area of 12 nautical miles from the baseline of the Maldives. Therefore, the decision of the Maldives to recognise the sovereignty of Mauritius over Chagos does not constitute letting go of a Maldivian territory defined by the constitution.
The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Maldives should extend 200 nautical miles starting from the baseline as per normal regulations. However, the area has been further delimited as there are sovereign powers in both north and south of the Maldives that conflict with the EEZ.
Furthermore, AP stated that the official delimitation of the maritime boundary further strengthens the rights of the Maldives in its southern region while paving the way to protect and utilise the country’s natural resources.