Minister of Defence and National Security, Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim has said that the Coast Guard is one of the most important part of the military force of the Maldives.
Minister Nazim said that the geography of the Maldives makes the Coast Guard the most responsible party of the military force.
He said that the responsibilities of the Coast Guard include defending the nation and its territorial integrity, protecting the territorial waters, safeguarding the marine environment and Coastal Area, enforcing the Maritime Law, assisting the people and conducting search and rescue missions, responding to national emergencies and crises and providing support and mobility to other services of the MNDF.
The Minister noted that the maritime security is a constituent ingredient of the national security in a maritime nation such as the Maldives and its significance is best understood when one perceives the island or the archipelagic nature of the country.
However, he said that despite the importance of the Coast Guard, the department has been overlooked in the past 35 years. He said that they have been giving their services without having a harbor to dock their boats.
Minister Nazim stressed that the current government will provide the coast guard with all the facilities they need to carry out their responsibilities.