President: To fortify military’s capabilities for 24-hour surveillance of EEZ

President Muizzu states the Maldivian military’s capabilities will be fortified to pave way for round-the-clock surveillance capabilities over the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

He made the remark while delivering his first presidential address at the opening sitting of the last session of the ongoing 19^th parliament on Monday morning.

In his address, President Muizzu spoke on various topics of importance.

In this regard, the President affirmed that the Maldivian military’s capabilities will be further strengthened over the course of this year which will pave way for round-the-clock surveillance capabilities over the nation's 900,000-square-kilometre EEZ.

He added that he is guided by his ‘pro-Maldives’ principle in safeguarding our nation's sovereignty, while placing the primary commitment in governance on the welfare of the people and the nation at the forefront.

While on the topic of security and sovereignty, President Muizzu also spoke regarding the withdrawal of Indian troops based in the Maldives. He described the expulsion of Indian troops as one of the main reasons the people of the Maldives elected the current administration.

President Muizzu detailed that diplomatic negotiations were underway for the withdrawal of Indian troops, adding it was agreed during the latest round of discussions that military personnel on one of the three aviation platforms would be withdrawn before March 10, 2024, while the military personnel on the remaining two platforms would be withdrawn before May 10, 2024.

Notably, President Muizzu’s remarks come after armed Indian soldiers, aboard a military ship that had been inside Maldivian territory without permit from the relevant authorities, stormed multiple local fishing boats on two separate occasions.  

The government has expressed discontent over the incident and has pledged to improve surveillance of Maldives’ maritime territory.