New Delhi: Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Adm R Hari Kumar unveiled the first Navigation Chart jointly produced by India and Maldives. Adm R Hari Kumar, CNS is on a three day visit to Maldives from April 18 to 20, 2022. It is his first overseas visit after assuming office.

During the visit he called on HE Mr Ibrahim Mohamad Solih, Hon’ble President of the Republic of Maldives, HE Mr Abdulla Shahid, Hon’ble Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Ms Mariya Ahmed Didi, Hon’ble Defence Minister and Major General Abdulla Shamaal, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDF).

The CNS hosted a reception onboard Indian Naval Ship Sutlej on April 18, in honour of the Defence Minister of Maldives and the leadership of Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF).

INS Sutlej, is currently deployed to Maldives for undertaking joint hydrographic survey under the MoU on Hydrographic Cooperation. The CNS unveiled the first Navigation Chart jointly produced by India and Maldives and handed over hydrography equipment to consolidate organic capabilities of the MNDF. He also presented a consignment of engineering equipment for further sustenance of MNDF ships, thereby reaffirming India’s commitment to the capacity building efforts of the MNDF.

India and Maldives share common perspectives on maritime security issues in the Indian Ocean and have been working together closely in several bilateral, mini-lateral and multilateral fora such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and the Colombo Security Conclave.

This visit further consolidates the strong and long standing bilateral relations between two close maritime neighbours and also identified new avenues of expanding the scope of bilateral cooperation in defence and maritime domain.