Govt. denies PPM’s claim on changing stand in border issue

The government has denied opposition Progressive of Maldives (PPM) statement on the ongoing dispute surrounding the delimitation of the maritime boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago describing it as an attempt to mislead the public and the world.

In a statement denying the claims released by the President’s Office on Thursday – the government described the statement by PPM as an attempt to mislead the public and a petty attempt at scoring cheap political points on a matter of great public sensitivity. 

The government also denied PPM’s allegations that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih acted outside of his constitutional mandate with regard to this matter. 

“The Government of Maldives furthermore denies allegations made by the Progressive Coalition that the President acted outside of his constitutional mandate with regard to this matter,” the statement read.

As per the government, the case at hand concerns the Maldives’ southern Exclusive Economic Zone- whose boundaries have never been, up until the present moment, determined by the Law of Sea Convention. 

“Setting the boundaries of the EEZ as stipulated in domestic and international law is well within the mandate of government and we will see that those obligations are fulfilled,” it was said.

As per the PPM, the Maldives’ sovereignty extends to the Chagos Archipelago. They claim that Maldivians have previously utilized the area for economic purposes. The government’s statement says that Maldives has never claimed sovereignty over Chagos Archipelago contrary to the PPM’s statement.

The government said that they have not at any time, retracted its stand on the ongoing dispute surrounding the delimitation of the maritime boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago, while they also remain steadfast in its position vis-à-vis its EEZ in the ongoing case at International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

It was explained that the Maldivian government informed Mauritius of its decision to vote yes, should the General Assembly resolution entitled “Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965” be considered again.

They also detailed the resolution is not in any way related to the issue of delimiting the maritime boundary between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago

“This was made clear in the Government’s communication to the Government of Mauritius, that our support to Mauritius’ claim on sovereignty over Chagos does not in any way prejudice or change Maldives’ ongoing claims at ITLOS,” the statement read.