Thursday
25th Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Captain Ihusan
Former Captain of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Ali Ihusaan declared that the hydrography agreement between the governments of India and Maldives is a threat to the sovereignty, independence, and security of Maldives.
Captain Ihusaan made his statement in a tweet after Dhiyares and the Maldives Journal published the confidential agreement.
He stated that the information collected during the survey has to do with the regional safety of Maldives, and the information being controlled by India is a threat to the sovereignty, independence, and security of the nation.
According to the agreement published by TMJ, India reserves the right to conduct hydrographic surveys and collect information on important ports, harbors, and designated sea areas around islands. The agreement states that India will create navigational charts based on information collected under the agreement.
India will have full ownership of the charts, and if the Maldivian government wishes to sell the charts, they will be sold at a price designated by the Indian government, and 75 percent of sales proceeds will go to the Indian government.
The government had refused to share the document with TMJ under the Right to Information Act, claiming a potential threat to national security.