Maldivian Defence Minister Colonel (retd) Mohammed Nazim will visit India from April 15-16. During the two-day visit, Nazim will meet his Indian counterpart, A. K. Antony, and the Chiefs of the Indian army, navy and the air force. He is also scheduled to meet Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, and the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Anurag Thapliyal.
Both sides will discuss bilateral and defence ties, and are also expected to deliberate on the Indian proposal to launch Maldives’ first communication satellite.
Following his engagements in New Delhi, Colonel Nazim will visit the Armed Forces Medical College and the College of Military Engineering (CME), in Pune, Maharashtra, where he is expected to negotiate for more seats for Maldivian military officers seeking training in Civil Engineering.
This visit comes in response to the invitation extended by the Indian defence minister during his visit to Malé in September 2012.
India and Maldives share strong defence ties. During Antony’s visit to Malé in September last year, both sides agreed to cooperate on ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean region. The fourth Joint Military Training Exercises between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force – Ekuverin 2012 – was held in Belgaum, India from November 12-25, 2012. These annual bilateral exercises, initiated in 2009 in Belgaum, are alternately held in India and Maldives to enhance the close military cooperation between the two countries.