President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that national dialogue is key to implementing the government's view of peaceful adherence to Islam and that he supports the Defence Minister's legal obligation agianst extremist ideology and violence.

President Solih said this in his address at the NCTC's National Dialogue on Promoting Peace and Security, a ‘high-level’ conference attended by Vice President Faisal Naseem and other senior members of government.

In his address, President Solih expressed his government’s commitment to recognising the cause of terrorism and addressing the issues locally, adding that his administration supports a multi-stakeholder approach to combatting global terrorism.

Recent decisions from the Solih administration shows signs of raising the ante, with Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi last week signing a memorandum of understanding with Hedayah, an Emirati counter-terrorism organisation.

Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid also signed an agreement with the United States Department of State on aviation security, under which Maldives may provide local authorities with means to conduct animal-assisted searches.

NCTC is tasked with overseeing state efforts against ‘violent extremism’; it is operated under the Ministry of Defence, having been established in 2016 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.