India and Maldives on Sunday held the 4th Defense Cooperation Dialogue (DCD) in Male and reviewed all aspects of bilateral defense ties. The talks were co-chaired by Defense Secretary Giridhar Aramane and his Maldivian counterpart, Chief of Defense Force Major General Abdulla Shamal. This Defense Cooperation Dialogue is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism between the two countries.
The talks also highlighted the future of relations between the armed forces of the two countries. During this, bilateral defense cooperation activities were reviewed and both sides expressed satisfaction over the growing cooperation. The talks also discussed the existing bilateral exercises, in which both the countries agreed to enhance these exercises. The armed forces of India and Maldives are exploring the possibility of bilateral cooperation in several areas. The increasing engagement between the two is being considered a positive sign for the future.
Giridhar Aramane thanked Major General Abdullah Shamal and his delegation for the fruitful talks and said that India looks forward to continued engagement based on the consensus reached from the 4th Defense Cooperation Dialogue. During his visit to Maldives, the Defense Secretary also met Defense Minister Maria Ahmed Didi and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.
