ACTION PUNJAB NEWS Desk: President Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the Maldives will not renew its agreement with India to conduct hydrographic surveys and will instead acquire the necessary facilities and machines to carry out the exercise on its own.
Muizzu also announced that his country is working to establish a 24-hour monitoring system for Maldivian waters this month to ensure control of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The development comes just days after China and the Maldives signed a defence cooperation agreement to provide free military assistance in order to foster “stronger” bilateral ties.
India-Maldives relations have deteriorated since Muizzu, who is strongly pro-China, took office last year. Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of all Indian troops just hours after taking oath in November 2023.
Muizzu’s announcement comes just days after a Chinese research and ‘spy’ vessel spent a week near Male and more than a month just outside the Maldives’ EEZ.
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