Mariya Ahmed Didi, the Defence Minister of Maldives, arrived in Kochi today to begin her six-day visit to India which is going to script history.
On November 27, Didi will become the first foreign Defence Minister to review the Passing Out Parade at the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Kerala's Kannur district, adding yet another golden chapter in the time-honoured partnership between the two countries.
The parade usually also witnesses the passing out of international cadets from various friendly foreign countries, including Maldives, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and Myanmar.
During her stay, Didi will be visiting training facilities and interacting with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) personnel undergoing training in India.
"We have made significant progress in our defence cooperation partnership within the last three years and we look forward to doing more to achieve our common goal of peace and stability in IOR (Indian Ocean Region)," the minister had tweeted after meeting Munu Mahawar, India's new High Commissioner to Maldives, in Male on Monday.
While Didi begins her India trip, some intense action is taking place in the azure Maldivian waters back home where the 15th edition of trilateral Coast Guard Joint exercise 'DOSTI' is being held in the seas off Male.
The four-day exercise is conducted jointly by the Coast Guard agencies of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives with the aim of strengthening friendly ties, enhancing mutual operational capability and cooperation in the Western Indian Ocean region.
Indian Coast Guard ships Vajra and Apoorva, besides Suraksha – the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) of Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) – are participating in the oldest continuous exercise conducted in the Indian Ocean.
Seychelles and Bangladesh are taking part in Dosti-XV as observers.
India believes that the exercise symbolises enduring ties of friendship, cooperation, collaboration and joint capacity building that have helped enhance security in the Indian Ocean.
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During the opening ceremony of the exercise on Sunday, Didi said that the enduring 30-year legacy of the biennial exercise represents the tradition of goodwill and amity between the three countries and their "firm commitment" to enhancing maritime security cooperation in the region.
"Apart from the skills and knowledge gained, the lifelong bonds of friendship are the lasting essence of these consistently rewarding and highly fulfilling training, which mirror the meaning of the name 'Dosti' itself," she said in her address.
The Minister also assured the Maldives' neighbours that the government headed by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih remains engaged in fostering regional arrangements and endeavours that help bolster security and prosperity in the nation's vicinity.
The opening ceremony was attended by Maldives' cabinet ministers, parliament members, High Commissioners, the Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdulla Shamaal, the Director-General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard Rear Admiral Anura Ekanayake and the Additional Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard V S Pathania.
The island country in the north-central Indian Ocean continues to appreciate the support extended by India on various fronts, including the generous assistance provided throughout the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
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