By order of Beijing: Maldivian government reduces cooperation with India
The government of the Maldives has decided not to renew the agreement on the operation of two HAL Dhruv helicopters handed over to the country's defense ministry by India, and also refused to extend the visa to six Indian pilots flying them and twelve technicians engaged in servicing these machines, the magazine reports Jane.
The agreements with the Indian side on the construction of a police academy in Malé (the capital of Maldives) and the provision of an HAL Dornier 228 base patrol plane to the island state were also canceled.
According to Indian diplomats, the Maldives government, headed by Abdullah Yamen, intends to “reduce” all the security treaties with New Delhi. All this is allegedly taking place under the “order” from Beijing, which recently signed its security agreement with Male and concluded a number of commercial contracts.
Until recently, the National Defense Forces of the Maldives, and primarily their coast guard, were fully in Indian care, receiving military equipment from New Delhi on a grant or preferential basis and carrying out military training.
As the newspaper writes, not so long ago in the Maldives, the reconstruction of the international airport in Malé was carried out at the expense of Chinese funding (Indian proposals were rejected). In addition, Chinese companies are likely to win in the competition for the construction of the Uthuru Thila Falhu seaport northwest of the capital.
The magazine recalls that at the end of last year, China concluded 12 agreements and memorandums with the Maldives, including to promote the One Belt and One Road Initiative aimed at expanding the strategic and economic ties in the region.
The agreements with the Indian side on the construction of a police academy in Malé (the capital of Maldives) and the provision of an HAL Dornier 228 base patrol plane to the island state were also canceled.
According to Indian diplomats, the Maldives government, headed by Abdullah Yamen, intends to “reduce” all the security treaties with New Delhi. All this is allegedly taking place under the “order” from Beijing, which recently signed its security agreement with Male and concluded a number of commercial contracts.
Until recently, the National Defense Forces of the Maldives, and primarily their coast guard, were fully in Indian care, receiving military equipment from New Delhi on a grant or preferential basis and carrying out military training.
As the newspaper writes, not so long ago in the Maldives, the reconstruction of the international airport in Malé was carried out at the expense of Chinese funding (Indian proposals were rejected). In addition, Chinese companies are likely to win in the competition for the construction of the Uthuru Thila Falhu seaport northwest of the capital.
The magazine recalls that at the end of last year, China concluded 12 agreements and memorandums with the Maldives, including to promote the One Belt and One Road Initiative aimed at expanding the strategic and economic ties in the region.
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