Have and will never sign off on losing the Maldives' sovereignty: Pres. Solih
Asserted that it was one of many similar agreements, and that the government would continue to reveal information as needed
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih held a press conference on Monday afternoon
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that the government has never and will never sign an agreement that will compromise the Maldives' sovereignty.
The President made the remarks while answering questions at a press conference held on Monday, the first since citizens across the country headed to vote in the Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections on Saturday.
Specifically, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was addressing the MNDF UTF Harbor development agreement, signed between the governments of Maldives and India. The UTF Harbor Development Project is being initiated under the Defense Action Plan on Defense Cooperation signed between Ex-President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom and the Indian government in 2016. The development of the UTF Harbor will take place over three years and will be spread across two phases. The agreement period signed for the project is 15 years.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih noted that while the agreement itself had not been made public, the government had disclosed relevant details, and noted that the parliament was also being kept updated on the latest information and developments with the agreement.
Speaking at the press, President Solih affirmed that the MNDF UFT Harbor development agreement was not a threat to the Maldives' sovereignty, and that he would never authorize or sign off on an agreement at the cost of the Maldives' sovereignty.
