Nearly 50 Indian soldiers have arrived in the Maldives ahead of a joint military exercise.
Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) said 45 Indian military personnel from the 17th Battalion of the Madras Regiment would take part in the training program dubbed 'Exercise Ekuverin' that will be held in Lhaviyani Atoll from December 15 - 27.
The annual training program would be carried out under the instructions of seasoned military personnel and military veterans from both countries, MNDF said.
The primary aim of the exercise was to strengthen military cooperation between both countries as well as to practice joint operations such as counter terrorism and counter insurgency.
'Exercise Ekuverin', is a training program that has been conducted annually since 2009.
The joint military exercise signals another significant step towards improved ties between India and Maldives since Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was sworn in as the archipelago's president last month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Solih’s swearing-in ceremony while Solih would make his first state visit to New Delhi next week.
The visit is Modi's first to the Maldives after years of tense relations between the two countries because of Solih's predecessor's embrace of China during his tenure.
