Free grants worth $3 million will be received through military agreements: Nazim

The Ministry of Defence has stated that Maldives will receive free grants of $3.2 million (MVR 50 million) from the military agreements recently signed between Maldives and China.

In response to a question by Sun regarding his recent visit to China, Defence Minister Colonel (Rtd) Mohamed Nazim said that the free grants will be received under the military agreements.

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said that Nazim’s visit was in answer to an invitation extended by the Chinese Minister of Defence General Liang Guanglie, and that the agreements signed between the two nations will bring Maldives free grants amounting to 20 million Chinese Yuan. MNDF said the agreements also included a medical ambulance to be contributed by the Chinese government.

When asked by Sun if this visit might affect the already strained relations with India, Minister Nazim said that the trip to China was an answer to an invitation extended by China a long time ago and that he sees no reason for it to affect the relationship between Maldives and India.

During his trip to China, Nazim visited China’s National Defence University, Military Medical University, and Shanghai Institute for International Studies. He discussed possibilities of training and education for Maldivians in China.

MNDF has said that opportunities have been also been extended for Maldivian students to study at China’s Medical University, and that Maldivian military personnel will get the opportunity to train and gain experience from a pilot program by the Shanghai Institute for International Studies. The institute also extended placements in future training programs for Maldivians.

MNDF has said that this trip by the Defence Minister has strengthened the military and defence ties between Maldives and China and that this trip will also facilitate Chinese aid towards strengthening MNDF.