New Delhi: The defence minister of Maldives, MA Didi, and the chief of defence staff, Major general Abdulla Shamaal, are likely to visit India on January 23 for discussions on immediate and long-term cooperation. In wake of the recent visit of the President of Maldives, Ibrahim Solih, to India and his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, closer military ties between the two countries are in the offing.

There are already talks of joint surveillance of the EEZ or Exclusive Economic Zone — the Maldives EEZ — which is right in the middle of the much-used shipping lane in the middle of the Indian ocean and there are security issues the Maldives government cannot handle. This will mean setting up observation radars to look at doubtful shipping and also, joint patrols by Indian and Maldives government warships.

The Maldives foreign minister Abdullah Shahid stated that The new government in the Maldives has been supportive of Indian concerns. PM Modi's visit during the Maldivian President's swearing-in was a game changer. The defence minister’s visit beginning with the placement of radars manned by Indian personnel could be the beginning of very close ties with the strategically located island nation.

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This, after the Chinese stranglehold in the area, gives India a strategic footprint in the region. India also has plans to build infrastructure, particularly expand harbours in the medium-to-long term and also, gift some small warships to the Maldives.

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