India gifts 72 heavy vehicles to MNDF

India has gifted 72 heavy vehicles to Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) with the aim of enhancing its capacity.

During a ceremony at the President’s Office on Friday, Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu received a symbolic key representing the handover of vehicles from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as part of the Prime Minister’s ongoing state visit to the Maldives.

India described the gifted vehicles as a symbol of the close ties between both nations and renewed cooperation between both nations under PM Modi and President Muizzu’s leadership.

According to Inda, the gifted vehicles will pave the way to increase MNDF’s capacity.

The vehicles were gifted under an agreement executed between the defense ministries of both nations. The agreement was signed by Maldivian Defense Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh during Ghassan’s official visit to India earlier this year.

The gifted vehicles include:

- 8 27-seater buses

- 10 pickup trucks

- 10 mini-vans

- 10 vans

- 5 lorries

- 8 tractors

- 4 tipper dump trucks

- 4 backhoe loaders

- 2 cranes

- 6 mini excavators

- 5 excavators

Prior to this, President Muizzu had revealed his administration’s intent to increase MNDF’s capacity including procuring additional vehicles as necessary.

Notably, Maldives and India have executed eight accords, including an agreement on a new USD 565 million line of credit for infrastructure development projects on Friday evening as part of Modi’s visit to the Maldives.

On Saturday, PM Modi is set to take part in Maldives’ 60th Independence Day celebration as the guest of honor.