Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has stated the establishment of a cargo ferry service between Cochin and Kulhudhuffushi is an important step towards the revitalising the economy of the Maldives.
Speaking at the ceremony held to welcome the first ferry operated under the new cargo ferry service, Minister Shahid said the service marks the beginning of a new chapter for the development of northern atolls. The minister said the establishment of the service is an important step towards reducing the dependency on Male’ City and establishing a decentralised system. He expressed belief the ferry will serve as an economic gateway for the northern region, bringing many commercial benefits to the residents of the northern atolls.
The foreign minister further stated the cargo ferry service is also a new road for the development of trade and commercial ties between India and the Maldives. Noting the backbone of the ferry service is the people-to-people contact between India and the Maldives, the minister expressed his gratitude to the Indian government for facilitating the project. He also thanked all the national stakeholders for their contribution towards making the project a reality.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the cargo ferry service was signed during the state visit of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to the Maldives, in June 2019. The MoU emphasised the need to improve connectivity between the two countries through the establishment of enabling infrastructure and bilateral trade and reaffirmed that dynamic people-to-people contacts form the backbone of the bilateral relationship between two countries. The MoU further acknowledged the valuable contribution of workers, students, travellers and tourists towards the economies and communities of both the countries.
The announcement regarding the commencement of the cargo ferry service between the Maldives and India was made during the digital video conference between Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S. Jaishankar on August 13, 2020. The cargo ferry service will travel between Tuticorin, Cochin in India, and Kulhudhuffushi and Male’ in the Maldives.