Minister of Defence Mariya Didi has stated Maldives believe comprehensive international cooperation is key to combat against terrorism. The defence minister made the remarks delivering a statement at the 10th International Meeting of High Level Officials Responsible for Security Matters. She is attending the meeting held at Ufa, Russia on invitation of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Addressing the meeting, Minister Mariya Didi highlighted collaboration among the states is a required course of action rather than a recommendation. In this regard, she expressed hope to expand the bilateral and multilateral engagements with existing and new partners.
Furthermore, the defence minister said Maldives know what it means to be vulnerable as Maldives is a small island state with limited natural resources, adding being vulnerable is costly. Noting Maldives have always been a peace loving nation, the minister assured Maldives will cooperate with international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism. In this regard, she mentioned Maldivian ancestors were living examples of tolerance and moderation that Maldives have always strived to emulate well into the 21st century.
In this context, she expressed the need to invest more in understanding incentives for civilians to become foreign fighters or lone terrorists, highlighting it is crucial to identify the weakness of separate states where terrorists may take advantage.
Furthermore, Minister Mariya said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's zero tolerance against terrorism echoes strong sense of urgency.