State Minister of Defence meets Maldivian Chief of Defence Force
March 06, 2024State Minister of Defence Hon. Premitha Bandara Tennakoon met the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Lieutenant General Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef at the MNDF Headquarters in Male on Tuesday (Mar 05).
Vice Chief of Defence Force Brigadier General Ibrahim Hilmy and Director General of Operations and Training Brigadier General Hassan Shahid representing MNDF also joined the meeting.
During the meeting, Lieutenant General Raheem remarked that the armed forces of both the Maldives and Sri Lanka have developed a close relationship over the years and that MNDF appreciated the contribution of the Sri Lankan armed forces in the training of officers and soldiers of MNDF. The MNDF has high regard for the high quality training and professionalism of the Sri Lankan armed forces.
Lt. Gen. Raheem also thanked State Minister Tennakoon and the government of Sri Lanka for facilitating the training of MNDF Special Forces currently underway in Sri Lanka. State Minister Tennakoon stated that the Sri Lankan armed forces deeply value the existing mutual relations with the MNDF and expressed appreciation for the numerous training engagements. The Minister further stated that President Ranil Wickremasinghe is keen to further strengthen defence relations and also identify new areas for cooperation. He reiterated the importance of maintaining stability and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The State Minister was joined by the Director General Training Sri Lanka Army Maj. Gen. Sumith Nandana, Director at the Foreign Secretary’s Bureau in the Maldives Maxwell Keegel, Wg Cdr Chaminda Ranasinghe from the State Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka, Commandants of MNDF Services, Staff Officers of the Integrated Headquarters and Senior Officers of MNDF.
