Maldives won't renew agreement with India for hydrographic surveys: Prez Muizzu
Maldives plans to acquire the necessary facilities and equipment to carry out the surveys independently.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the country will not renew an agreement with India to conduct hydrographic surveys. Instead, Maldives plans to acquire the necessary facilities and equipment to carry out the surveys independently. This decision signals a shift in Maldives' approach towards its maritime activities and highlights a growing desire for self-sufficiency in such endeavours.
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During a ceremony held at an island he visited on Monday, President Muizzu made the announcement. “This will allow Maldives to conduct the underwater surveys of the country by ourselves. We will then acquire all insights of our underwater features and prepare charts, they will be drawn by us,” Muizzu was quoted by Maldivian news portal Edition.mv.
In addition to discontinuing the agreement with India for hydrographic surveys, President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives has revealed plans to establish a 24/7 monitoring system for Maldivian waters. This system aims to enhance control over the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), despite its expansive size, PTI reported on Wednesday. By implementing this monitoring system, Maldives seeks to bolster its maritime security and assert its sovereignty over its territorial waters more effectively.
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Muizzu's recent remarks mark the first public commentary from his government regarding its hydrographic survey plans. Previously, Muizzu's government had announced its intention to review over 100 agreements signed with India by its previous administrations.
Initiatives to conduct hydrographic surveys in partnership with India's hydrography office were initiated in January 2021. Under the previous administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Maldives had entered into an agreement with the Indian government to conduct these surveys aimed at mapping the underwater features of Maldives.
"We decided not to renew the agreement entered into with the Indian government to scan and acquire all insights and sceneries of our underwater body. All these underwater details are the property of our heritage. They depart after performing scans in manners that acquaint them to all insights [of Maldives’ underwater body], draw maps [from the surveys] and to top it all, we end up having to purchase it from them as well," Muizzu said according to the news portal.
(With inputs from PTI)
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