As part of India's "gift" to the Maldives on his visit to the island nation from May 1 to 3, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will deliver a swift patrol vessel and a landing craft to the Maldives.
On Sunday, the defence ministry made this statement, stating that Singh's visit to the Maldives will be "important landmark" in forging "strong bonds" of friendship between the two nations.
One of India's most important maritime neighbours is the Maldives, and in recent years, bilateral ties between the two countries have improved overall, especially in the fields of security and military.
In response to China's ongoing efforts to increase its overall influence in the region, India decided to give the Maldives the military platforms.
Singh is expected to meet with the Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the foreign minister Abdulla Shahid, and the defence minister Mariya Didi during his visit.
According to a statement from the ministry, "Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will give one rapid patrol vessel ship and a landing craft to the Maldives National Defence Forces in line with India's commitment to capacity building of friendly countries and partners in the area.
Singh will additionally interact with the Indian diaspora and assess how various programmes supported by India are being carried out in the Maldives.
The ministry noted that India and the Maldives are collaborating closely to handle common issues including maritime security, terrorism, radicalization, piracy, trafficking, organised crime, and natural disasters.
The statement continued, "India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, its "Neighbourhood First" strategy, and the Maldives' "India First" policy strive to cooperate in order to jointly build the capabilities within the Indian Ocean region.
The full range of defence cooperation between the two countries would be reassessed, according to a statement about Singh's discussions with the Maldivian defence and foreign ministries.
Another major gainer from India's Neighbourhood First policy is The Maldives.
The Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), dubbed as the greatest infrastructure project in the island nation, was launched in August of last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Solih of the Maldives.
The proposal calls for the construction of a 6.74-kilometer-long bridge and causeway link to link Male, the capital of the Maldives, with the neighbouring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi.
Giridhar Aramane, the defence secretary, visited the Maldives last month and spoke with Major General Abdulla Shamaal, his Maldivian counterpart.
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