The 12th edition of Indo-Maldives military exercise commenced in the second week of June 2023. The Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force were scheduled to convene from 11- to 24 June 2023 and have been meeting regularly in Chaubatia, Uttarakhand.
Ekuverin means ‘friends’ which is an annual bilateral exercise that is conducted alternatively in Maldives and India. The aim of this exercise, which started in 2009 is to give a stimulus to provide increased understanding and acquaint both the forces with each other’s operational procedures.[i]
In order to enhance bilateral relations, the 14-day-long exercise will include cultural and sports activities along the meticulous training. The exercise will also work towards amplifying the collective operation between the two countries in Counter-Terrorism Operations under the UN mandate along with carrying out Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations.[ii]
Both nations have had close friendly relations, ranging from cultural to military cooperation. Ever since the bilateral relations between the two nations began, almost every Indian Prime Minister (PM) has visited Maldives. India has also received support from the Maldives in multilateral fora such as in the UN, SAARC, or NAM. One example of this would be India and Maldives co-sponsoring the G-4 Draft Resolution.
Alongside, there has been constant bilateral assistance between the two state actors dating back to 1986 when PM Rajiv Gandhi visited Male and the establishment of a Medical Complex was agreed upon with Indian assistance. This was followed by assistance in the Engineering sector. India has also been the first country to provide any kind of aid to Maldives in case of natural calamities such as during the 2004 Tsunamis in the island nation.[iii]
On the economic front, the two countries signed a trade agreement in 1981 for essential commodities. India most dominantly imports scrap metals and exports agricultural products to the Maldives. India has also been a big investor in the nation. The State Bank of India has been playing an essential role in this sphere since 1974 through loan assistance, especially for the tourism sector. The Taj Group of hotels, for example, has built-in exotic spas and resorts.
Along with everything else, the two nations have very strong cultural connections, with the construction of the Indian Cultural Centre in Maldives and common interests in the Hindi film industry. About 28,000 Indians are also settled on the island and have taken up different professions from doctors to teachers.[iv]
The primary reason behind such strong relations has been the regular contact between the two countries which comes with different agreements talks and visits such as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of Judicial Cooperation that was approved by PM Modi last year.[v] Ekuverin happens to be one of these many practices in the bilateral relations between India and Maldives with a prominent defence perspective to it.
With the changing International Relations Environment and the surging transnational crime and drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean Region, it is vital for the two countries to work together on the defence front to maintain peace and stability. With the goals of the 14-day interoperability exercise, the cooperation between the two nations will inflate at a tactical level. The exercise is a very prudent move for security in the Indian Ocean.[vi]
Since 2009, the goal of Ekuverin has been to reinforce the ties between the two nations, and to date, the ongoing practices continue to do so.
[i] “Ministry of External Affairs,” n.d., https://eoi.gov.in/eoisearch/MyPrint.php?4372?001/0011.
[ii] “INDO-MALDIVES JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE ‘EKUVERIN’ COMMENCED AT CHAUBATIA, UTTARAKHAND,” n.d., https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1931728.
[iii] “India-Maldives Relations,” n.d., https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Maldives-January-2012.pdf.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] “Cabinet Approves Signing of MoU in the Field of Judicial Cooperation between Judicial Service Commission of Maldives,” n.d., https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1843002#:~:text=The%20Union%20Cabinet%20chaired%20by,of%20the%20Republic%20of%20Maldives.
[vi] Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy, “India-Maldives Defence Cooperation: Partnership and Partisanship,” ORF, May 18, 2023, https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/india-maldives-defence-cooperation/.
Author: Sasha, Research Intern, CS3, USI