By Morning Picker
The signing of a defense and security agreement between the Maldives and the United States earlier this week is being seen as consistent with the growing alignment of US and Indian interests in the Indian Ocean (IOR) and Indo-Pacific regions. The defense minister of Maldives also has something to say. For her, it was a significant m
ilestone in defense and security operations. The agreement also setup up an institutional mechanism of a bilateral defense and security dialogue. The enthusiasm for the agreement in New Delhi for the US-Maldives defense pact is in stark contrast to the circumstances when the US had last proposed a defense agreement with the Maldives.