New Delhi: As part of Mission SAGAR, Indian Navy’s INS Kesari ship on Tuesday reached Male port in Maldives and dropped 580 tonnes of essential food items.
Maldives became the first stop for Indian navy ship to deliver the consignment to the neighbouring country in southern Indian Ocean Region.
The food aid includes 200 tonnes of rice, 140 tonnes of wheat flour, 80 tonnes of sugar, yellow pulses 120 tonnes, onion 26 tonnes and potato 14 tonnes.
“INS Kesari is on a trip to five nations in South Indian ocean including Seychelles and Mauritius for delivering essential food items, medicinal supply and assistance in wake of COVID crisis,” an official said.
Indian high commission in Male said that that the food aid is a token of friendship from the people of India to the people of the Maldives during the holy month of Ramadan adding both Maldives and India have supported a regional strategy to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on people.
It added that this is another milestone in the time-honored and close relations between the two nations.
The aid follows a telephone conversation between President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 20.
India has been assisting Maldives’ Covid-19 response efforts since starting, including in evacuating Maldivians stranded in Wuhan of China as well as sending a medical experts’ team for assistance and providing essential medicines and other supplies.
