Joint Indo-Maldives military exercise begins today amid China FTA concerns

After the Maldives signed an FTA with China in a surprise move, New Delhi said it expected the Indian Ocean nation to be sensitive to its concerns

The two-week long eighth edition of the Indo-Maldives joint military exercise, 'Ekuverin', will be conducted from Friday at Belagavi, about 505 km from Bengaluru. 

The exercise comes on the heels of a free trade agreement (FTA) the Maldives signed with China recently. 

The bilateral annual exercise is a 14-day joint military training between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), which is held alternatively in India and Maldives since 2009.

'Ekuverin' means 'friends' in the Maldivian language. 

The seventh edition of the exercise was held at Kadhdhoo, Lammu Atoll, the Maldives in December 2016.

The focus of the exercise is to acquaint both armies with each other's operating procedures in the backdrop of a counter-insurgency or counter-terrorist operation in an urban or semi-urban environment under the United Nations (UN) Charter, with an overall aim to enhance interoperability between the two armies, an official release said.

It said the exercise will see the contingents hone their tactical and technical skills, and also provide an opportunity for the two armies to activate the Joint Operations Centre at Belagavi.

The MNDF will be represented by a team comprising two officers and 43 other ranks, while the Indian Army will be represented by three officers, as many junior commissioned officers, and 39 other ranks belonging to a Gorkha Rifles Battalion (Sirmoor Rifles).

The opening ceremony of the exercise, scheduled for Friday, will witness a flypast by the Army Aviation team along with a march past by the contingent from both the countries in the presence of the pipe and drums band of the Gorkha Regiment.

After the Maldives signed an FTA with China in a surprise move, India on Thursday broke its silence on the matter saying that it expected the Indian Ocean archipelago nation to be sensitive to New Delhi's concerns.

Stating that India attached the highest importance to its relations with Maldives, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the two countries "have strong historical and civilisational linkages and also at the people-to-people level".

"We are also committed to support democracy, development and stability in Maldives," Kumar said in his weekly media briefing here.

"It is our expectation that as a close and friendly neighbour, Maldives will be sensitive to our concerns in keeping with its India first policy," Kumar said.

The main Opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) led by former President Nasheed raised a red flag after the FTA was rushed through Parliament on November 29 in a record one hour without any debate.

What was surprising was that it was signed even after Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, during a visit to New Delhi, said that his country would sign an FTA with India first.

Regarding Yameen's visit to China earlier this month, Kumar said: "We feel that as long as the development of bilateral relations between the two countries can contribute to the peace and stability in the region, we should welcome that."