MEA Secretary (West) with Maldives Foreign Secretary

Male - India and Maldives have united in their efforts to combat terrorism, particularly in the strategically significant Indian Ocean Region (IOR). During the Second Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, both countries strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism. They emphasized the importance of counter-terrorism cooperation to maintain security in the IOR.

As a step towards strengthening their cooperation, the two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on immigration matters. The MoU facilitates information exchange, enhances border control management, and supports capacity building in immigration matters between the Maldives Immigration and India's Bureau of Immigration.

During the meeting, India and Maldives discussed various areas of cooperation, including countering radicalization and violent extremism, combatting terrorist financing, and addressing the exploitation of the internet and cyberspace for terrorist activities. They also focused on mutual information sharing, capacity building, and establishing institutional linkages among law enforcement agencies, security forces, customs, immigration, and other relevant authorities.

Both sides pledged to strengthen cooperation and assistance for security and law enforcement agencies. They reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing dialogues in multilateral forums, including the United Nations and platforms such as the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC).

As part of the visit, the Indian delegation also toured the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Male'. The MoU on cooperation in immigration matters, signed during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs meeting, aims to foster cooperation in areas such as border control management, capacity building, and addressing issues related to irregular migration, human trafficking, and transnational crimes.

The joint efforts and collaboration between India and Maldives signify their shared commitment to combatting terrorism and maintaining security in the Indian Ocean Region. Through this strengthened partnership, both countries aim to promote peace and stability in the region.