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India will on Saturday hand over a Dhruv helicopter to Maldivian defence forces.
The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), will be handed over in the presence of Maldivian Defence and National Security Minister Mohamed Nazim in Kochi.
“The Madivian defence minister will be in Kochi on December 14 and visit facilities under the Southern Naval Command. An ALH manufactured by HAL will be symbolically handed over to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) in his presence,” Indian Defence Ministry spokesperson said.
“The ALH is expected to be positioned in Male by early 2014 and would be the second ALH to be provided to Maldives,” he added.
Nazim is in India since Thursday and has met his counterpart A K Antony at South Block, the seat of the Defence Ministry. He was accompanied by the Maldivian High Commissioner to India and senior officers of the MNDF.
During the meeting, the two have decided to hold a joint exercise of their forces in 2014, as part of the efforts to enhance defence ties.
Antony reiterated India’s commitment to strengthen bilateral defence relations with Maldives and conveyed its resolve to continue support for developing medical facilities and expertise of the MNDF. The ministers reportedly discussed matters related to training of Maldivian medical specialists in India, deputation of Indian armed forces and medical specialists to Maldives and strengthening of medical infrastructure there.
Antony announced that all MNDF personnel would henceforth be eligible for treatment in Armed Forces medical institutions in India for major surgeries and treatment of serious illness.
