Male, Maldives (CU)_ The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has authorized an MOU between India and the Maldives for judicial cooperation. The central government has authorized the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the Judicial Service Commission of the Republic of Maldives for judicial cooperation. This is the eighth MoU inked in the sphere of judicial cooperation between India and other nations.
This MOU will offer a platform for using the benefits of information technology (IT) for court digitization and can be a development opportunity for IT businesses and startups in both nations. In recent years, the close ties between India and the Maldives have deepened to a great extent in a variety of fields. The signing of this agreement on cooperation in the sphere of law and justice will strengthen the positive ties between the two nations.
Apart from facilitating knowledge sharing and technology in the judiciary and other legal fields between the two nations, it will also further the goals of the “Neighborhood First” program. The action comes at a time when India has become a significant electoral topic in the Maldives’ political spectrum. In addition to being a popular tourist destination, the country, which will hold elections the following year, has received global attention as part of the intensifying competition between India and China. In 2018, the former president Abdulla Yameen, who was viewed by many nationalists as dangerously close to China, was defeated in a landslide election.
The new administration, led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has announced an India First policy, which is currently being challenged as he attempts to combine India’s rising presence with an Opposition that views this as excessive dependence. To note, the India Out movement was started by the opposition, led by Abdulla Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
