“India has proven track record in hydrography”: MEA on Maldives not renewing agreement

New Delhi [India]: Regarding the Maldives not renewing the Hydrographic Survey agreement with India, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India has a proven track record in this field and has been cooperating with many countries in the Indian Ocean region.

Addressing the press briefing, Bagchi said, “India has a proven track record in the field of hydrography and we have also been cooperating with many countries in the Indian Ocean region on hydrography and various elements related to that. The benefits to partner countries are visible.”

This comes after last week, Maldives’ Under Secretary for Public Policy Mohamed Firuzul said that part of the ‘Hafthaa-14’ roadmap was to revoke bilateral and diplomatic agreements with other countries that would put the country’s sovereignty in danger, Maldives-based The Press reported.

He said the Maldives President and his cabinet have decided not to renew the Hydrography agreement between the India-Maldives and that as per agreement dictates one party can decide not to renew the current agreement six months before it expires in June 2024.

The hydrographic survey agreement was signed on June 8, 2019, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Maldives.

Under the agreement, India was allowed to conduct a comprehensive study of the island nation’s territorial waters, which includes reefs, lagoons, coastlines, ocean currents, and tide levels.

The third Joint Hydrographic survey by the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) was carried out by an Indian Naval Ship Investigator (INS Investigator) from January 19 to February 26, 2023.

The Indian Navy ship surveyed Northern Maldives covering Ihavandhippolhu and Thiladhanmatee atolls and Gallandhu Kandu.

Since 2018, Indian navy ships have made several trips across the Maldives for the survey, according to The Press.

The Under Secretary also said that the government wants to build this capacity within the armed forces (MNDF) and that budget allocations would be made to develop resources for such work within the MNDF.