Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid declared on Tuesday that "Maldives will always be grateful to India, for being a trusted neighbour and a true friend".
In his remarks in commemoration of Maldives' 'Victory Day', he highlighted the timely and invaluable military support provided by India on November 3, 1988, to counter the attempted coup d'état.
Maldives marks Victory Day every November 3, to commemorate the state's defeat of Abdulla Luthfee and Sagar Ahmed Nasir's attempt to overthrow the government by taking over the National Security Service (NSS) with the help of armed militants from Sri Lanka's People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The attack resulted in the death of 19 Maldivians including 11 civilians and eight military personnel.
Today, we remember the brave martyrs of @MNDF_Official and civilians who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country
— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) November 3, 2020
Today, we honour our brave soldiers who fought valiantly to protect our freedom and sovereignty
Today, we offer gratitude to the heroes of #3Nov #VictoryDay
Hailing the military personnel and civilians that lost their lives, Minister Shahid further noted that building national resilience and investing in lasting ties with the international community are key to countering 21st-century threats.
In addition, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also conveyed particular appreciation to India for swiftly extending military assistance upon receiving a request by the Maldivian government.
Acknowledging the heroism and bravery demonstrated by the individuals that died, President Solih expressed the necessity of learning lessons and drawing inspiration from history amid Victory Day celebrations.
Moreover, the president stated that the Maldivian armed forces continued to display the same bravery and patriotism, noting that Maldivian citizens would always remain grateful for the security service's valour on November 3.
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