Saturday
4th May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih lied about protecting Maldives’ diplomatic affairs.
The president’s remarks came following the public backlash projected towards the government for taking a stand in favor of Mauritius during the maritime territory demarcation issue between the two countries.
Addressing the attendees at the ceremony held to commemorate the day Maldives Embraced Islam, last night, President Solih stated that the Maldives was not working with or against a certain country in relation to the Chagos Islands issue. He said that since it was an ongoing case at an international tribunal, the Maldives is prioritizing its own diplomatic affairs.
The president noted how unfortunate it was that some people have been spreading misinformation and propaganda to further their own cause, despite knowing the truth of the matter.
Additionally, President Solih assured that the government has never taken and will never take a decision, even in a matter of foreign policy, that will affect the sovereignty of the country.
President Solih stated that Article 3 of the constitution clearly states the Maldivian territory and that the Maritime Zones of Maldives Act has clearly laid out the procedure following any maritime border conflicts.
Signifying the span of the Chagos maritime issue, the president highlighted that the Maldives had discussed it with the British government in 1992, over 30 years ago. He said that the United Kingdom proposed equidistant delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and the same issue was then discussed with Mauritius in 2010.
The president noted that Maldives is still maintaining their initial stance since the problem arose, which was in the best interest of the Maldives.
While the government continues to assert that they have just changed their stance on the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and not the dispute over maritime territory between Maldives Islands and Chagos Islands, former Attorney Generals, Azima Shukoor and Dhiyana Saeed have contradicted the government’s argument.
A statement released by both, Azima and Dhiyana, stated that according to The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), every country is entitled to 200 nautical miles from the country’s baseline, as their EEZ.
However, if another country exists in close proximity, it is possible to have shared EEZs and in such cases, Article 74 of the Law of the Sea Treaty clearly outlines the procedure for demarcation. The statement noted that the EEZs between Chagos Island and Maldives are shared in this manner and it had been documented since 2001.
Azima and Dhiyana asserted that although the government initially agreed with the UK for equidistant demarcation of the mutually exclusive economic zones, their stance changed.
Azima and Dhiyana urged the parliament and other authorities of the state to investigate whether the government has in reality taken the best possible stance for the maritime future of the country. They urged the parliament members to bring the decision to the necessary authorities and the parliament floor for proper appraisal.
Azima and Dhiyana stated that should the appraisal prove the government’s amended stance in the Chagos sovereignty issue to be limiting and constricting to the country’s development and future, the authorities must take action to amend the stance and minimize the fallout.