Prior to departure of PM Narendra Modi to Maldives, India on Thursday handed back to Maldivian Coast Guard the Ship MCGS HURAVEE after carrying out major refit on it, the Indian Navy said.
Maldivian Coast Guard Ship (MCGS) Huravee successfully completed her refit at Naval Dockyard,Visakhapatnam, and the ship was formally handed over to the island nation, a Navy spokesperson said. This ship in fact was an Indian Naval Ship, handed over to Maldives in 2005.
The handing over of the ship after a scheduled refit and repairs was done two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a day-long visit to Maldives to attend the swearing-in ceremony of new Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.He was in fact only Head of State invited fir this ceremony.
Modi’s visit is seen as an indication of by New Delhi having better bilateral ties, which nosedived during the outgoing Abdulla Yameen government.
India-Maldives ties came under strain under Yameen and the relations deteriorated further after he imposed emergency in the island nation on February 5 this year.
Maldives is an important country for India’s maritime security and there have been concerns in India over China’s growing influence over the country in the last few years.
The Navy spokesperson said the four-month long refit of Huravee was part of an initiative by the Indian Navy to enhance its outreach to friendly foreign navies in the Indian Ocean Region.
“The ship had arrived at Visakhapatnam on 12 Jul 18 and successfully completed her refit on Nov 14,” the official said.
“Major repairs were undertaken on the ship’s hull, main propulsion and auxiliaries. In addition number of systems and equipment were upgraded for better performance and reliability,” he said.
