The Minister of Defence Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon has called on the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) personnel to always put the country before personal interests. The Minister made the appeal while speaking at the handover and commissioning ceremony of the Türkiye-donated naval ship, Dharumavantha.
In his address, the Defence Minister said President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s main objective since taking office has been to safeguard the country's independence and sovereignty. To date, he has taken several significant decisions in pursuit of this goal, he said.
The Minister said the vessel is the largest military ship in Maldivian naval history.
"This is the largest ship in the history of the MNDF. It is capable of travelling long distances and operating with heavy weapons. This is the direct result of the President's continuous efforts to increase military capabilities. I thank the President on behalf of MNDF officers,” Ghassan said.
The Minister further said the vessel would play a key role in protecting the country’s independence, maintaining its waters and safeguarding its resources. The Minister noted that in 1980, when the navy was first established, MNDF was working with very limited resources.
The Defence Minister reiterated his call for service above self, and assured the public that the armed forces would always protect the sovereignty and independence of the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief of Defence Force, Major General Ibrahim Hilmy said the Türkiye-donated vessel will greatly multiply MNDF’s naval strength. Noting that it is the largest vessel to be added to the MNDF fleet, he said the President and MNDF’s Commander-in-Chief Dr Muizzu attaches special importance to the development of the army. He added that efforts are underway to acquire more naval vessels to the Maldives in the near future.
The Chief of Defence Force said that the armed forces remain the strongest symbol of the Maldives’ independence and are always prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to defend it.