Male: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Didi on Wednesday jointly laid the foundation stone for MNDF Ekatha harbour in Male.

Office of the Defence Minister in a tweet stated, "Security and Growth for all in the Region In keeping with Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi's vision of SAGAR, Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Defence Minister of Maldives, Ms @MariyaDidi jointly laid the foundation stone for MNDF Ekatha harbour in Male."

Singh arrived in Male on May 1 at the invitation of his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Didi.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD), in a joint Press Communique on Rajnath Singh's visit to Maldives, said, "Minister Rajnath Singh also gifted MNDF an additional Landing Craft. The handing over of these vessels are in line with India's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) that seeks to work together with and jointly develop the capabilities of friends and partners for a safe, secure, prosperous and stable Indian Ocean Region."

The statement added, "The visit saw the laying of the foundation stone for the MNDF Coast Guard 'Ekatha Harbour' by Hon Minister Singh and Minister Didi. The development of the Coastguard Harbour and repair facility at Sifavaru is one of the biggest grant-in-aid projects of India."

During his visit, Singh and Mariya Didi held bilateral talks to enhance defence cooperation and strengthen the longstanding partnership between India and Maldives. The two leaders also discussed regional and global security issues of mutual concern and agreed to deepen their cooperation in the defence and security sectors.

They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security in the region and recognised the need to work together to address security challenges, according to the joint communique. They also agreed to explore additional avenues for cooperation, including in defence trade, capacity building and joint exercises.

The two leaders discussed the need to promote people-to-people contacts and exchanges between the armed forces of both countries. During the visit, Rajnath Singh paid a courtesy call to Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, according to the joint communique released by the Ministry of Defence.

Singh also met Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. The Defence Minister and his Maldivian counterpart attended the ceremony for the commissioning of the replacement ship for Huravee, in the presence of the Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the partnership between their countries, adding that they looked forward to continuing the dialogue and cooperation in the future.

In its joint communique, the Ministry of Defence further stated, "The visit renewed the sense of commitment of the two friendly neighbours to enhance the security and prosperity of their respective countries and the region."