The government has given a full assurance that no part of the Maldives’ territory will be handed over to any foreign power.
The assurance was given in a special statement issued by the President’s Office. The statement said the territory of the Maldives and the sovereignty of the Maldivian state are inalienable rights of the state and the Maldivian people, on which the country’s independence rests.
It said the Constitution vests the Maldivian state with full authority and responsibility for overseeing the country’s exclusive economic zone and sea lanes, and that history bears witness to Maldivians having protected the nation’s independence and sovereignty within those boundaries with great pride.
Pointing to the country’s geography, the government said the Maldives lies in a region of great strategic importance. As the international shipping lanes within Maldivian waters carry a large share of the world’s oil trade and general commerce, ensuring that these waters can be used safely is a valuable service the Maldives has long provided to global and regional stability, it said.
The statement said that not handing over the oversight of the country’s territory and sea lanes to foreign parties is the most important fundamental policy the government follows to protect the Maldives’ independence and sovereignty.
As opening any part of Maldivian territory to a foreign party for military or other oversight would affect the nation’s independence and regional security, the government gave a full assurance that no such power would be given to any foreign party. It also appealed to all parties not to invite foreign influence, directly or indirectly, against these policies.
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