Male: As piracy assumes menacing proportions in the Indian Ocean, India and Maldives on Saturday decided to undertake coordinated patrolling and aerial surveillance to guard strategic sea lanes in the region.
The two countries also decided to develop an effective legal framework to act against the pirates.
The decision was taken during a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed here who agreed to strengthen cooperation to enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region through coordinated patrolling and aerial surveillance. The move comes as Somali pirates are venturing deep into the Indian Ocean and closer to Indian territory to stage seajackings and more and more of these pirates are being apprehended by maritime forces.
A joint statement released after the meeting between Singh and Nasheed said the two sides agreed on "exchange of information, capacity building and the development of an effective legal framework against piracy."
They also reaffirmed their "unequivocal and uncompromising position" against all forms and manifestations of terrorism. India recently deployed a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft in Male and has been sending a warship or a naval plane to perform security roles for Maldives in the last two years.
The two countries also agreed to "enhance bilateral cooperation on issues of common concern, including piracy, terrorism, organized crime, drugs and human trafficking. It was also agreed to intensify cooperation in the areas of training and capacity building of police and security forces."
PTI