President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Friday stated that Maldives' territory has fully been demarcated with the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on Friday. The President made the remarks while speaking at the Press Conference following a special Cabinet meeting held after the ruling was issued.
The President said that Maldives' southern border had not been fully demarcated till now and that ITLOS' decision settled the disputed territory between Maldives and Seychelles in accordance with international laws. The President also noted that under the Law of the Sea Convention, to which the Maldives has been a party since 2000, disputed territories of overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) must be settled using the principle distance.
The President also stated that the Maldives has now become a nation with its maritime boundary fully settled in accordance with international law and that this decision is a victory for the Maldives and its people.
The President answered queries from the media and clarified details of the government's stand on the issue. The President said the Maldives had never claimed sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. He added that Mauritius' plans to declare a marine protected area north of the Chagos Islands would prove beneficial to Maldives and that local fisheries in the area would not be affected.
At the press conference, Cabinet members also answered questions posed by the media.
On Friday, the ITLOS supported the Maldives' stance while concluding the dispute between the Maldives and Mauritius on the overlapping maritime boundary issue. The verdict favored the Maldives in its claim, according 47232 sq kilometers - the larger portion of the overlapping area- to the Maldives.
