New Delhi
18 May 2006
Visiting Maldives Minister of Information and Arts Mohamed
Nasheed on Thursday said there was "no strategic involvement" of China in his
country's defence or security issues.
"Maldives has not had any defence understanding with any other country except India,"
he said. He described as "utter rubbish" the reports of China having a base in a southern
atoll in Maldives.
"Defence," he said, "has always been a concern for Maldives because of its small size
and vulnerability to foreign aggression" and said the gifting of "INS Tillanchang" was
symbolic of the ties between India and Maldives.
"China," he said, "was an important partner" to the extent that Beijing has helped build
flats and housing accommodation in Male and also the building housing the Foreign
Affairs Ministry of Maldives.
During his April 15-16 visit, Defence Minster Pranab Mukherjee handed over INS
Tillanchang, rechristened as "Hurawee", to the Maldivian security service in the
presence of Maldives President Abdul Gayoom.
Mr Nasheed said that during his four-day visit to India, he met with Union Information
and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and Union Minister of State for
External Affairs E Ahamed.
He held discussions on media reform and to learn from the examples of Prasar Bharati
and All India Radio. He also said tie-ups would be forged with the Indian Institiute of
Mass Communication (IIMC) and the Jamia Millia Islamia.
He said the proposed media reforms in Maldives would be modelled loosely on India's
vibrant media scene with particular emphasis on human resource development including
training programmes.
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