Maldives–United States relations

The United States has friendly relations with the Republic of Maldives since the nation's independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.[1] The U.S. ambassador and some Embassy staff in Sri Lanka are accredited to the Maldives and make periodic visits. On the other hand, Maldives is represented in U.S. through its Permanent Mission to the UN at New York City (see also Headquarters of the United Nations).

Maldives–United States relations
Map indicating locations of Maldives and USA

Maldives
United States

The United States supports Maldivian independence and territorial integrity, and publicly endorsed India's timely intervention on behalf of the Maldivian Government during the November 1988 coup attempt.[2] U.S. Naval vessels have regularly called at Malé in recent years. The Maldives extended strong support to U.S. efforts to combat terrorism and terrorist financing in 2001–2002.

History
Former U.S. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Mohamed Nasheed in 2009

U.S. contributions to economic development in the Maldives have been made principally through international organization programs. Following the December 2004 tsunami, the U.S. and Maldives signed a bilateral assistance agreement for $8.6 million in reconstruction assistance. This assistance will help in the rebuilding of harbors, sewage systems, and electrical generation facilities and in the development of aid absorption capacity in the Ministry of Finance. The United States has directly funded training in airport management and narcotics interdiction and provided desktop computers for Maldivian customs, immigration, and drug-control efforts in recent years. The United States also trains a small number of Maldivian military personnel annually. About 10 U.S. citizens are resident in the Maldives; some 5,000 Americans visit the Maldives annually.[3]

Hugo Yon is the current U.S. Ambassador to the Maldives.[4] The relevant U.S. Embassy is in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced during a trip to the Maldives that the United States would be opening an embassy in Malé. The opening of an embassy will combat growing Chinese influence in a country that stretches through crucial shipping lanes.[5]

Defense

The United States and the Maldives have been deepening their military and political ties since the election of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as President of the Maldives.[6] In September 2020 the United States and Maldives signed a defense agreement with each other in Philadelphia.[7] The agreement had been in the works since 2013, but had previously been blocked by the Indian government's opposition to the agreement. Indian officials have since welcomed the agreement saying that Maldives is part of the Indo-Pacific.[8][9] The United States is one of several countries that provides military aid to broaden the capacity of the Maldivian Armed Forces.[10]

Aid

The United States donated 60 ventilators to Maldives during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] The United States also gave a grant of $2 million for economic support during the pandemic and $150,000 worth of personal protective equipment.[12]

References
  1. "Policy & History". U.S. Mission to Maldives. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  2. "Operation Cactus: India's 1988 intervention in the Maldives". Pragati. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  3. "Maldives". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  4. "PN2031 - Nomination of Alaina B. Teplitz for Department of State, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  5. Verma, Pranshu (28 October 2020). "U.S. to Establish Embassy in the Maldives". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  6. De Silva, Rohantha (15 March 2019). "The US reinforces political and military relations with the Maldives". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  7. "The Maldives and U.S. Sign Defense Agreement". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  8. Rej, Abhijnan. "India Welcomes US-Maldives Defense Cooperation Agreement in a Sign of Times". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  9. Mitra, Devirupa. "Seven Years On, India Now Backs a Defence Pact Between the US and Maldives". The Wire. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  10. Mohamed, Shahudha. "Chief of Defence denies foreign military presence in Maldives". The Edition. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  11. "The United States Donates 60 Ventilators to Maldives to Respond to COVID-19 - Maldives". ReliefWeb. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  12. Mohamed, Shahudha. "USA donates equipment for frontliners of Maldives' COVID-19 response". The Edition. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Relations of the Maldives and the United States.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.