Government will not say no to GMR: President Yameen

President Abdulla Yameen has said that the Maldives government will not say no to GMR Group, the Indian infrastructure giant who was unceremoniously expelled from managing the Maldives' main international airport in 2012.

The Hindhu Times reports that in a recent interview with Press Trust of India, President Yameen said that GMR was welcome to participate in any ventures in the Maldives, other than the airport project.

“I am not saying we are saying no to GMR. What I am saying is total management of the airport is far too important for Maldivian Government [to hand over]. We have nothing against GMR or any Indian company. It is just that the international airport is far too important for us, commercially and also from a security point of view,” President Yameen told the Press Trust of India.

He added that the total operation of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport will not be granted to a foreign party, or even a local Maldivian company. It will be undertaken by the Maldives Airports Company, a 100 percent government company, the President said.

Asked when the process for an out-of-court settlement of the dispute will begin, he said, “It has started, already started“.