President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has reaffirmed his administration's commitment to reclaiming the Maldives' lost territorial waters in the southern sea, expressing confidence that the nation will ultimately prevail through international legal proceedings.
Speaking on PSM News’ Nation Chat programme, the President revealed that the government is aggressively pursuing procedural steps to reverse the loss, which he characterised as a serious detriment to the state caused by the previous administration.
The dispute centres on a 2023 ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which demarcated the maritime boundary between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago.
President Muizzu asserted that the previous government conceded the area without following proper legal protocols, a move that resulted in the loss of a significant portion of the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). According to the President, reclaiming these waters was a core campaign pledge and remains a top priority for his government.
"The area is Maldives' territory, which we have made very clear. Hopefully, we will win the court proceedings, and the nation will benefit from the recovery of these waters. Our legal and procedural efforts are moving at a very fast pace,” he said.
The President revealed that the administrative work to form a specialised commission to investigate the circumstances of the territory's loss is currently underway. This commission will examine how the previous administration handled the ITLOS proceedings and why the area was conceded. A team from the Attorney General’s Office has recently traveled abroad to collaborate with an expert international legal team to build a robust case for the Maldives.
The government had previously estimated that the southern sea dispute cost the state around USD 2.4 million. Following a comprehensive study submitted to the Cabinet by international legal experts, the government decided to officially submit the case to international agencies for review.
President Muizzu emphasised that the Maldivian people are well aware of the situation, noting that public dissatisfaction with the previous government’s handling of the maritime boundary was a key driver in the last presidential election. He had previously warned that his administration intends to hold accountable all individuals involved in actions that led to the loss of sovereign territory.