In a significant shift in its maritime strategy, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has announced the country’s decision to terminate its hydrographic survey agreement with India. Instead, Maldives plans to invest in acquiring the necessary resources and infrastructure to conduct these surveys independently, signaling a move towards greater self-reliance in maritime endeavors.
President Muizzu unveiled this decision during a ceremony held on a visited island on Monday, emphasizing the country’s determination to assume control over its underwater surveys. “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 stated, as reported by Maldivian news portal Edition.mv.
In addition to discontinuing the agreement with India for hydrographic surveys, President Muizzu outlined plans to establish a comprehensive 24/7 monitoring system for Maldivian waters. This initiative aims to bolster maritime security and enhance control over the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), notwithstanding its vast expanse, according to PTI reports.
These recent announcements represent the Maldivian government’s first public commentary on its hydrographic survey plans. Notably, President Muizzu’s administration had previously indicated its intention to review numerous agreements, including those with India, signed by previous administrations.
Initiated in January 2021 under former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration, the hydrographic survey agreement with India aimed to map the underwater features of Maldives. However, President Muizzu expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangement, criticizing the dependence on external entities for vital maritime data.
“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 stated, echoing concerns over sovereignty and self-determination.
Maldives’ decision to chart an independent course in hydrographic surveys underscores its commitment to assert sovereignty over its maritime territory and strengthen its capacity for maritime governance and security. As the nation embarks on this new trajectory, the implications for regional maritime dynamics and diplomatic relations remain to be seen.
Sources By Agencies