The governments of Maldives and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement 13 development projects across the Maldives under the third phase of India’s Grant Assistance Scheme for ‘High Impact Community Development.’

The signing ceremony was held on Sunday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Malé. The MoU, valued at a total of MVR 100 million, aims to strengthen the country’s inter-island ferry network.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel signed the MoU on behalf of the Government of Maldives, while the High Commissioner of India to the Maldives, G. Balasubramanian, signed on behalf of the Government of India.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Dr Khaleel said the projects reflect the close and historic relationship between the two countries. He described India’s assistance as consistently responsive to the needs of the Maldivian people and noted that the current set of projects will deliver long-term social and economic benefits to communities across the nation.

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen, who also spoke at the ceremony, highlighted that the projects will further strengthen the ongoing establishment of the Raajje Transport Link (RTL) service. He noted that the RTL service is being implemented in three phases across six regions, and so far, 81 islands in nine atolls have been connected through the national ferry network.

The MoU signed with India includes support for the construction of 12 new passenger vessels and the development of a ferry terminal in Raa Ungoofaaru. Minister Ameen stated that while the full RTL project was initially expected to be completed by 2027, the Government now hopes to finish the work before the end of this year.

The third phase of the ‘High Impact Community Development’ scheme was first announced during President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to India in October 2024.