President Mohamed Muiz has insisted that the Maldives is not a small country and said the steps taken by his government to ensure the Indian Ocean island's own security should not concern “external parties”.
The pro-China Maldives leader's comments came days after the first group of Indian military personnel piloting a helicopter gifted by India departed from the island after Muiz stepped up his anti-India rhetoric.
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Immediately after taking office last November, Muiz asked India to withdraw nearly 90 military personnel from the island nation. India has agreed to replace military personnel with civilians and continue to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft provided to the country for humanitarian and medical evacuation services.
Muiz's latest comments were made during a speech at the inauguration ceremony of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Air Squadron and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), according to a press release from the President's Office on Friday.
Muiz maintained that the Maldives is not a small country and said the country has the capacity to monitor its jurisdiction.
“The Maldives is an independent and sovereign state and oversight of its jurisdiction should not involve external parties,” he said, without naming the country.
He “affirmed the importance for the Maldives to continue on its path to self-reliance and remain an independent and sovereign state in all respects,” the press release said.
Muiz said the independence and sovereignty of the Maldives “must be the common interest of all its people, despite different ideologies.”
He added that this will not hinder the Maldives' close ties with all countries.
Muiz, who is believed to be a pro-China leader, has declared that no Indian military personnel will be stationed in the country after May 10, even if they are wearing civilian clothes.
He came to power last year on an anti-India platform, demanding that India remove personnel from the strategically located archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean within hours of being sworn in.
At the ceremony, Muiz announced new initiatives to strengthen the Maldives' military capabilities.
According to the press release, efforts have been launched to mobilize resources to realign neglected military resources and bring them up to the level of military use and public services.
Meanwhile, Maldives Defense Minister Ghassan Maumoon said the inauguration of the Maldives Defense Force Air Corps came as a shock to enemies and friends.
Ghassan said that in the modern world, the role of the Defense Forces and war strategies are changing, adding that the military now relies on technology and tactics are used to reduce the risk of human life.
“It is an advanced technology platform used by developed countries of the world. It is equipped with firepower capable of taking defensive actions to protect the country's sovereignty, while at the same time focusing on surveillance and search and rescue. It's a weapon,” he said. News portal Adhdhu.com said.
Ghassan said the tide of war is changing around the world, with fewer attempts to invade or occupy other countries. However, he claimed that powerful countries are now trying to influence the sovereignty of other countries.
“By openly saying that we have the right to live in an independent and sovereign Maldives, and by saying publicly that Maldivians have the right to stand on their own two feet, we have the courage to join the ranks of the Maldives military.” “We were able to quickly improve our skills and achieve the goals that were achieved,” he said, “which shocked both friends and foes.”
Lieutenant General Abdul Raheem Abdul Ratheef, Chief of the Armed Forces, said that the creation of the Armed Forces Air Corps and the use of unmanned aircraft have significantly improved the military capabilities of the Armed Forces.
“In the 4,000th anniversary of Maldives' independence, today marks the historic day when the first air force was launched to protect the country from the air, carry out search operations and assist fishermen and vessels in the event of maritime accidents.”
