Indian gifts naval ship to the Maldives

17 April 2006
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MALE, April 17 (HNS) – The government of India has gifted its naval ship INS Tillanchang to the government of Maldives.

The official ceremony to hand over the craft was held Sunday morning at the Maldives Ports Authority pier. The craft was handed over to the National Security Service Coast Guard by Indian Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee.

The vessel was accepted on behalf of the government of Maldives by the Minister of Defence and National Security, Ismail Shafeeu.

The ship's new commissioning plaque was unveiled by the President. The ship was reincarnated under the Maldives flag. It was renamed, 'Huravee'.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Defence Minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee said that he was pleased to be visiting the Maldives. He noted that it was a privilege for him to be handing over INS Tillanchang to the NSS. Highlighting that the hand over ceremony was a landmark event in the bilateral relations between Maldives and India, the Indian Defence Minister stressed that the two countries had strong ties of culture and friendship that went back many centuries. Further, he said that the ties of friendship between the two Indian Ocean neighbours had matured with time, and that relations were today based on mutual respect, common interests and shared values.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Minister of Defence and National Security, Ismail Shafeeu thanked India for the considerable assistance that it had provided to the Maldives.
He elaborated that the Maldives had received Indian assistance in many social, cultural and economic areas, as well as in the maintenance of peace and security in the country. He added that the NSS had itself been the beneficiary of much assistance over the decades, particularly in human resource development.

Defence Minister Shafeeu recalled that 'Operation Cactus' carried out by the Indian defence forces following the terrorist attack on 3 November 1988 was the single most remarkable service rendered to the Maldivian people at a time of great need, but that it was one of many such services. He also said that the Indian government's decision to endorse such a vessel to the Maldives was an indication of the understanding that prevailed between the Maldives and India, and that it would serve as a symbol of the enduring friendship between both countries.

In his speech, the Defence Attache' of India, Captain Sooraj Berry expressed his confidence that the naval vessel would contribute to safeguarding the maritime interests and upholding the sovereignty of the Maldives.

Maldives Guide