The Government of Japan has handed over oil-spill prevention equipment and material to the government of Maldives.
The equipment worth USD 2.8 million was handed over by Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Keiko Yanai to Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi. Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the handover of the equipment is one component of the culmination of ongoing dialogue and partnership between the two countries, which was initially announced during the official visit to Japan by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in October 2019.
In December 2018, Japan and the Maldives signed the Exchange of Notes under the terms of which the Japanese government provided a grant of USD 2.66 million to further promote the economic and social development in the country. The grant was utilised to procure oil-spill prevention equipment and material. Meanwhile, a training on oil spill response for five Coast Guard officers were conducted at the Maritime Disaster Prevention Center (MDPC) in Yokosuka, Japan last October.
The government of Japan expressed hope the equipment will strengthen the capacity and capability of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Coast Guard to respond to maritime pollution incidents.
Japan remains one of the key bilateral partners of the Maldives, and has contributed immensely to the development of education, the social and environment sectors in the country. It continues to provide development and technical assistance to the Maldives during the COVID-19 situation.