Maldives not to renew pact with India on hydrographic surveys in its territory

AFTER threatening to send Indian soldiers packing, the latest development from the Maldives is their decision not to renew an agreement with India for conducting hydrographic surveys of their waters.

- YESHI SELI

Maldivian Undersecretary for Public Policy, under the newly elected President Mohamad Muizzu, stated on Thursday that the Maldivian administration has decided against renewing the hydrography agreement with India, which is valid until June 7th, 2024. The Maldivian government has conveyed this decision to India, according to reports.

India has refrained from making any comments on the matter so far.

India had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maldives on cooperation in the field of hydrography five years ago (18th June 2019), during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Male.

According to the terms of this agreement, if one of the signatories wanted to terminate the agreement, it had to inform the other country at least six months before the term ended; otherwise, it would automatically renew for another five-year period.