India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will give a fast patrol vessel and a landing craft to the Maldives during his visit to the island nation from May 1 to 3. The visit will help build stronger bonds of friendship between the two countries, and the entire defence relationship between India and the Maldives will be reviewed during the visit.
The Maldives is strategically important to India and one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region. The Greater Male Connectivity Project, an infrastructure initiative funded by India, is currently under construction in the Maldives, which will connect the Maldivian capital Male with nearby islands. India’s neighbourhood first policy has also benefited the Maldives.