Strengthening Partnership Between India And Maldives

0:03 Spotlight. This is Akashwani. In the program spotlight, now we bring you a discussion on strengthening partnership between India and Maldives. The participants are Jatendra Kumar Tripati, former ambassador and Veh Shivas, anchor. Indian Maldives have completed 60 years of a trusted partnership. A partnership and alliance built on trust, friendship and mutual cooperation. Prime Minister Narend Modi is on an important Mulivian tour to talk more about the alliance between India and Maldiv, what it means for the Southeast Asian collaboration

0:48 with other countries, what it means for India's future in the region and the entire world. We have with us a very special guest. We have former ambassador Shri Jitindra Kumarati. Welcome to the studios of Akash. >> Thank you very much. >> Maldives and the Mulivian people gave a grand ceremonial welcome to Prime Minister Narend Modi on his arrival in Mallay. Chance of Prime Minister's name were heard all around the vicinity. the visit of the prime minister and the historic welcome that the prime minister

1:35 was accorded. What it means for the relations that India and Maldives share and how do you see these relations shaping up? This shows that despite ups and downs sometime in diplomatic relation, bilateral relations between the two countries, the relationship had been progressing very steadily for the last 60 years. And the sense of mutual trust that has developed between the two countries has been stable and has proved that it is on the same platform on the same level. It is not at the level of big brother and small brother. Though some of the countries in the region had been complaining at times that India has been behaving as big brother but we

2:22 never had this big brotherly attitude in our dealings with these our neighbors. I would like to clarify that despite the initial problems during the current leadership of Maldives where even before taking oath of the office, Muizu in his election campaign, he wrote on the slogan of India out but then very soon after taking over he realized as you know former prime minister Atal Vihari had once said that it is something to be in the opposition and it is something different when you are in the government. >> Absolutely. >> So when he came into the government then probably he realized that India cannot be avoided and India cannot be avoided

3:07 because India is the first responder in the region. India is a sort of protector of in this Indian Ocean because of its coastline of more than 6,000 kilometers. So certainly this realization again dawned upon the Maldivian government which very soon rectified its course corrected its course of action. >> Prime Minister Narend Modi spoke of the strategic alliance the partnership of trust between India and Maldes the completion of 60 years of this partnership and congratulated the people and the government of Maldes on 60 years of independence.

3:52 guest of honor. The prime minister was accorded a 21 gun salute. Despite being a global power, India never ever has put itself in a dominating situation over any of the other countries as has been done by other superpowers. No debt traps but only trust and alliance. How important was this realization for Maldivs and Maldivian people that Indian friendship will go a long way and India will always be there if you are a friend of India. >> Let me clarify. Let me reveal that I

4:38 have served in Baldes for 2 and a half years from 1987 to 89. That was the time when the failed coup attempt took place and Indian armed forces came to rescue and after that Maldivians were all presents for India and by and large Maldivian populace they are very friendly to India. They have been very friendly to India. Absolutely. despite the fact that some of the leaders that few times the leadership was not that much pro- India but again we have showed that we don't have a big brotherly attitude in any of the our south Asian neighbors we always were there to help we always were there to rescue and if you remember in 2004

5:24 tsunami be it 2015 problem be it COVID or be it financial ial problems of maldis we had always been there even at the peak of anti-India attitude of Muisu we did not stop our grant which was mentioned in the budget to Maldives and this time from 400 we have raised it to $600 million to Maldives so that itself shows that our friendship or relationship is not that of a giver or receiver that of a donor or dtor our relationship ship is that of friends that of two countries which want to share their experience. We are the older country than Maldives. We took the same

6:09 path as Maldiv is taking path of development. So we wanted to share our experiences with Maldives and that is what we are doing and that dawned upon the Maldivian government very soon. Prime Minister Modi spoke about the various developmental projects which will be or are running in Maldives through Indian assistance and how they will make for a better Maldes in the future. Social housing units, Greater Mallay connectivity project, adu road development project, redevelop

7:02 as the leader of the global south, as the visha guru that India is uh it's not just an infrastructure but uh the science of weather prediction in uh making various important buildings for the Mulivian government and the defense ministry giving a huge line of credit of approximately 5,000 cr rupes which is 565 million US building a new airport bringing new roads housing development projects what all are these contributions signifying towards What does it tell to the other nations in the Southeast Asian territory about India and especially about India's intent to be a true partner in the development of not just itself but also the development

7:47 of the whole of humanity when it comes to the developing countries India's actions speak volumes of itself and give a message to developing countries their confidence or say it gives a message to other developing countries that India is always there for their help as a friend as a neighbor without any ulterior motive to the developed countries. It gives the message how an assistance should be given. If we may ask you G what all have been even if we have to name a few what all have been the important steps that India has taken or what all have been the ways of assistance that India has extended for the development of the people and the

8:32 country of Maldives. You see a 500 bed Indra Gadhi memorial hospital to Maldives. Then Maldive poly techchnic because Maldiv didn't have any technical education. Then India Maldive faculty of hospitality and tourism technical adoption program national college for police and law enforcement agencies adu reclamation project MICO expansion. These are the projects and recently as prime minister said 3,800 housing units. These are the projects which have been completed. 37 more projects are in the process of completion and therefore I mean we have seen India as India help Maldives going

9:18 out of way uh in many projects like for example I would like to tell that uh under IT program we used to or and ICCR program we used to give a scholarship to many countries many developing countries to come and study here for undergraduate and post-graduate Now when it came to Maldiv the problem was at that time in ' 80s there was no school beyond 10th grade in Maldives. So how would they come for undergraduate studies? So giving a relaxation we gave them scholarship to study grade 11 and 12th also in Indian schools so that they can go to university and cope with that. This is something extraordinary. Now we have completed the national headquarters. We have signed an MOU on

10:03 fisheries and aquaculture. We have signed an MOU on tropical materology on digital solution and most of all what we have done is that whatever is outstanding amount under the previous LOC's beside the 4,850 cr which has been declared now for that we have reduced the debt servicing from 51 million perom to 29 million perom slash by 40% to give them relief. We have given them relief for their budget. We have given them grant for their budget. Today it was announced that we have given 70 heavy vehicles to Maldivian defense forces. We have given this again 400 million currency SW program to Maldives. We have

10:50 given them interest free loan for one year. So these things explain themselves how lenient how liberal we have been especially with Maldives. Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistri addressed the press conference on the important tour of Prime Minister Narin Modi to Maldives. Let's listen to what he said. >> His Excellency, the president also referred to this in his remarks at the top of the delegation level talks with the prime minister that we proceed on the assumption that security is an issue of mutual interest. The president expressed his commitment uh to uh the importance that Maldives attaches to uh

11:38 security related issues and the commitment for the two sides to continue to work together. I think the fact that uh there is uh quite a high frequency of contacts between uh security authorities of the two countries. G talking about very important topic over here and this is in the wake of absolute and resolute success of the Surur and uh in the backdrop of how the relations are evolving of India with various of its partners or force. How do you see the strategic alliance between India and Maldes when it comes to defense security of not just these two countries but of the whole of the

12:24 Southeast Asia region? >> See a few months back when Mu was new in power, Malinian government asked Indian government to withdraw the helicopters and withdraw helicopters and their trainers but India said yes okay we will withdraw men from our armed forces. Absolutely. >> But we will give you the technicians. Technicians will remain >> true help. >> So this help then we are giving regular training to Maldivian defense forces. We are giving regular training under the partnership of Saga Milan and Mahas Saga projects. We are giving them equipments. But as when it comes to security, we have told Maldiv that we do not want Maldiv to do anything. We don't have any objection in Maldiv having relation with

13:09 other powers. but not at the cost of our security and I am happy that Maldiv has understood that and Maldivian government has now decided not to do anything which is detrimental to Indian security concerns. >> Chi G thank you so much for such deep rooted and valuable insights on the India Maldi relationship. Thank you so much for giving us your valuable time and coming to the studios of Akashwani and we truly hope that the India Moldivian relationship this strategic alliance this partnership of trust goes from strength to strength and uh the future of both the countries is brighter than ever. Thank you so much for being

13:54 >> Thank you very much for inviting and I do hope that Indo- Maldivian relationship will see new heights day by day. >> Thank you. You were listening to a discussion on strengthening partnership between India and Maldives. The participants were Jatendra Kumarati, former ambassador and Veho J Shivastav, anchor. This program was produced and presented by the news services division of Akashwani. You can listen to it on our mobile app News on AIR. This program is also available on our YouTube channel News on AIR official. You may share your feedback about this program through email at [email protected] or WhatsApp on 928944.

14:41 >> Spotlight