News

Law crucial to fortify state secrets: Minister Ghassan

Published

2 months ago

25/03/2024

Aconfidentiality act to safeguard government secrets is a necessity, said Minister of Defense Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon on Monday.

Ghassan was summoned to the parliament on Monday to acquire updates on a case involving Indian soldiers boarding three local fishing vessels while they operated near the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

During the extra time allocated to question the cabinet minister, parliament MPs questioned about the military drones recently acquired and commissioned under MNDF’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) service.

On March 15th, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu officially launched the MNDF Air Corps and UAV services. Maldives government had bought some of the drones with others issued under a Turkey grant.

Kelaa MP questioned why the goverment publicized acquisition of the military drones, to which the minister said the state’s military secrets should be kept confidential.

“Truthfully, to disclose certain information to the public through the parliament, legislation to protect state secrets is necessary,” Ghassan said.

The minister explained a confidendiality act would classify government’s secrets to different levels or categories; based on the degree of sensitiveness.

An act to protect state secrets would benefit the government to disclose its policies to the parliament, Ghassan said while confirming this practice would eliminate the possibility of state secrets being used for political propaganda.

“Through this legislation, disclosure of sensitive information would be a criminal offense while its preservation would be assigned to relevant law enforcement authorities. We already discussed the same with parliament’s 241 committee as well,” Ghassan added.

The minister said a system categorizing state secrets would enhance dissemination of confidential information to the parliament.

“That is to ensure none of these sensitive information are exploited for political motives. The Maldivian state belongs to all Maldivians,” the minister added.

Although the state publicly reported the drones’ arrival and their inclusion in MNDF, the exact number of these vehicles were not publicly disclosed.

Ghassan said he has no objection to clarify the number of drones at a discreet meeting of the 241 Committee.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

India denies claims by Maldivian government on unpermitted operation

Published

7 hours ago

14/05/2024

India has denied the claims made by Maldivian Defense Minister Ghassan Maumoon last week, alleging Indian military pilots had carried out an operation in the Maldives without the necessary permits.

The High Commission of India in the Maldives released a statement on Tuesday, stating that Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated as per the agreed procedures and with due authorization.

On the contrary, while speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Minister Ghassan said he had knowledge of one of the aviation platforms undertaking an unpermitted trip. He went onto detail an incident where one of the Indian-operated helicopters landed in Th. Thimaraushi, allegedly without permission – a case which he said was reviewed by the Parliament’s Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee), when he had been a lawmaker.

Referencing the remarks by the Minister, the High Commission said the particular incident which saw an emergency landing at Thimarafushi on October 9th, 2019, was “necessitated due to an unforeseen exigency”.

They added that the landing was carried out after taking necessary on-ground approvals from Air Traffic Control (ATC) to ensure the safety and security of the platform and crew.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

Maldives calls for strong measures to maintain tuna stocks at IOTC

Published

7 hours ago

14/05/2024

The Maldives has called for strong measures to sustain tuna stocks at the 28th session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources is attending the five-day session in Bangkok, Thailand. It will address various issues related to the sustainability of tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives is advocating for member states to prioritise the sustainability of tuna stocks, focusing on the adoption of strong management measures for drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and shark conservation. Additionally, the Maldives will push for the implementation of a management procedure for skipjack tuna.

During the session, the Maldives emphasised the need for science-based management plans to protect against threats to fisheries and to enhance the restoration and management of tuna stocks. The Maldives also aims for the IOTC to lead Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) in adopting science-based conservation and management measures, reflecting the nation’s dedication to the well-being of coastal communities and the health of tuna stocks.

The IOTC is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for managing tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Maldives to seek UK’s assistance to develop finance sector

Published

7 hours ago

14/05/2024

Maldivian Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed, on Monday, traveled to the United Kingdom (UK) to attend the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Roundtable.

According to the Economic Ministry, the purpose of the Minister’s visit is to seek assistance from the participants of UK financial sector in order to develop a vibrant financial market in the Maldives, which the Ministry states is vital for the nation’s economic and social development.

The discussions held by the Minister in this regard will center on the development of Maldives International Financial Services Authority and Development Bank.

In this regard, the Economic Ministry said the visit will pave the way to establish formal working relationships with UK financial services firms on modernizing legal framework, financial sector infrastructure and the development of a modern and world-class governance strategy and operations for the establishment of international financial centres in the Maldives.

Minister Saeed, as part of these efforts, will meet UK government officials, members of the House of Lords and representatives from the UK financial and professional services industry in the course of the visit.

Source(s): sun.mv