Govt: Australia’s patrol boat crucial to protecting Maldives’ maritime security

The Government of Maldives states the Guardian-class patrol boat pledged to the Maldives by Australia will be crucial to protecting Maldives’ sovereignty and maritime security.

The Government of Maldives and the Government of Australia held the second Australia-Maldives Senior Officials Talks on Monday in Canberra, a follow-up on the inaugural Senior Officials Talks held in Male’ back in September 2024.

The discussions were chaired jointly by First Assistant Secretary of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Sarah Storey and Secretary of Maldivian Foreign Ministry Dr. Hala Hameed, with senior officials from both Australian and Maldivian agencies in attendance. The dialogue was held in conjunction with Defense Policy Talks hosted at Australia’s Department of Defense earlier Monday.

In a statement following the dialogue, the Government of Maldives via Foreign Ministry, said the dialogue built on Australia’s and Maldives’ shared vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region as Indian ocean partners.

According to the Ministry, Australia reaffirmed its role as a steadfast and reliable partner to the Maldives, with discussions focusing on regional and national security, economic prosperity, democracy and governance, and the importance of upholding international law and a rules-based order.

The Ministry underscored Maldives-Australia relations are built on collaboration and shared commitment to addressing regional and global challenges such as climate change, maritime security, gender equality, and transnational crime. In this regard, the Ministry detailed that Australia continues to support the Maldives in managing the impacts of climate change, including through contributions to the UN Development Programme and the Blue Carbon Hub. The gifting of a Guardian-class Patrol Boat—announced in June 2025 by Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Maldivian Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan—will further strengthen the Maldives’ maritime security and sovereignty, it added.

The Ministry noted that Australia also contributes to developing human resource capacity in the Maldives, with nearly 750 Maldivians having received Australian scholarships over the past six decades. It was noted that the dialogue reaffirmed the growing collaboration between Australian and Maldivian tertiary and vocational education institutions.

Spanning more than 50 years, the Ministry said the bilateral relations between Australia and the Maldives were further strengthened with the opening of Australia’s High Commission in Malé in 2023. It added that the dialogue underscored both nations’ commitment to a lasting partnership and identified new areas for enhanced cooperation.

Australian High Commissioner to the Maldives, Jessup, states the new Guardian-class patrol boat pledged to the Maldives by Australia will be completed within the first half of next year.