Maldives-US signs State Partnership Programme to enhace defence capabilites

Maldives on Monday signed an agreement with the Montana National Guard State Partnership Programme.

The agreement was signed during a special ceremony held at the Integrated HeadquARTERS of Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

While Minister of Defence Mariya Didi signed on behalf of Maldives, the Adjutant General of Montana National Guard Major General John Hronek signed from the US side.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Mariya said that this partnership will go a long way in building the capacity and readiness of the Maldivian Defence Sector to meet the challenges of today.

She went on to describe the enrollment of Maldives in such a prestigious programme as one of the solid outcomes of the Framework Agreement signed in September 2020, which formalized the way forward in cementing US-Maldives Defence and Security cooperation.

“Today, by enrolling in this program, we (the President Solih administration) are reiterating our commitment to the deepening of the US-Maldives Defence and Security relationship, which has grown tremendously over the past 3 years,” said Minister Mariya.

Furthermore, she said that this programme was tailored to meet the unique requirements of Maldives’ defence and security landscape, by facilitating engagements in key areas such as Maritime Domain Awareness, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief, Cyber Defense and Communication Security, Aviation Security Operations, Leadership Development, Military Medical and Engineer Activities, Operational Logistics and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Environmental Defense and Response.

The ceremony was attended by Members of the US Delegation, Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdulla Shamaal and officers of Maldives National Defence Force, Chief Executive Officer of National Disaster Management Authority Hisan Hassan, and Director of Anti-Human Trafficking Ali Jaishan Amir.