No part of Maldives' territory will be handed over to a foreign military or security force: Government

The Maldivian government has assured that no part of Maldives' territory will be handed over to a foreign military or security force. In a statement issued by the President's Office today, the government said that since different parties are extending invitations to foreign parties to safeguard Maldives' territory, and foreign journalists are asking questions about the government's policies, no part of Maldives' territory, under any circumstances, will be handed over by the Maldivian government to any foreign military or any other security force. "And the Maldivian government urges that no party extend any invitation to foreign influence through other means, whether direct or indirect, in a manner that could be construed as such," the government's statement said. The statement said that when looking at world geography, Maldives is a country situated in a very important strategic location. It also said that the international trade sea passages within Maldives' territory are important sea passages used by a very large percentage of the world's oil trade and general trade to travel from one continent of the world to another. The statement said that, considering that the international trade sea passages and Maldives' exclusive economic zone are included within Maldives' territory, opening any part of Maldives' territory to a foreign party to be safeguarded militarily or in any other manner would undermine Maldives' independence and the sovereignty of the Maldivian state. Since it is a matter that would affect the peace and security of this region, refraining from doing so is a fundamental policy of the Maldivian government. The statement said that not entrusting the safeguarding of Maldives' territory and sea passages to foreign parties is one of the most important policies pursued by the Maldivian government to protect Maldives' independence and the sovereignty of the Maldivian state. The statement said that Maldives' territory and the sovereignty of the Maldivian state are an unchangeable right of the Maldivian state and the Maldivian people, upon which Maldives' independence depends. It also said that, considering that the international trade sea passages and Maldives' exclusive economic zone are included within Maldives' territory, the full authority and responsibility for safeguarding Maldives' territory is a responsibility assigned by the Constitution to the Maldivian state.