Top MNDF officials in India for defense cooperation talks

Chief of Defense Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, along with other top officials from the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), are in India on an official visit designed to bolster defense cooperation between the two countries.

The officials travelled to India to attend the fifth defense cooperation dialogue between Maldives and India, which took place in New Delhi on Friday.

The Maldives’ delegation was attended by Hilmy, while the Indian delegation was led by Defense Secretary Giridhar Aramane.

According to the Indian Defense Ministry, the meeting provided both sides with an opportunity to discuss matters related to bilateral defense cooperation, including expediting the implementation of various ongoing defense cooperation projects.

The Defense Ministry said that the two sides also deliberated on a few other areas of common interest such as high-level exchanges and capability development projects, and aspects of participation in forthcoming bilateral military exercise were also discussed.

“The entire range of talks were productive which will advance shared interests of both the nations in near future and bring stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region,” said the ministry in its statement.

On the sidelines of the dialogue, Hilmy met with top Indian defense officials, including Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan.

Discussions during the meeting focused on furthering defense cooperation between India and Maldives, measures for strengthening regional security and enhancing bilateral training opportunities.

Hilmy also met with Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, the Chief of the Naval Staff.

According to the Indian Navy, discussions during the meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in training and information sharing, and towards enhancing maritime security in the region.

He also visited the National War Memorial.