 between our two countries. Joining the two leaders this afternoon, among others, are the Foreign and Defence Ministers of Maldives and the External Affairs Minister of India. I now invite my counterpart in Mali to conduct the proceedings. Welcome to this high-level event, the announcement of the development project between the Maldives and India. First on the agenda is the gifting of the inshore petrol vessel Coast Guardship Kamyab from the Government of India to the Government of Maldives. We will now see a short video on the vessel. This 28-meter vessel gifted by the Government of India, this is a versatile platform fitted with state-of-the-art equipment for the specific roles of maritime operations and maritime law enforcement. Prior to the delivery of the vessel to the Maldives, five executive and three technical crew from the MNDF has been oriented and trained for this vessel in India as part of a pre-commissioning training. This brand new vessel was a result of a request made by the Honourable Minister of Defence, Al-Ustazah Maria Ahmad Didi and the Chief of Defence Force Major-General Abdullah Shamal during their official visits to India this year. As we continue to fly the Maldives' flag on board this vessel from today onwards, the vessel will nevertheless resemble the everlasting friendship of the Maldives and India as well as the brethren of our people as it embarks to serve a shared maritime security need. May the vessel sail to its name Kamyab translated as success in both Hindi and Divahi. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the official flag hoisting ceremony on board MNDF Coast Guard Insho Petrol Vessel Kamyab. The onboard ceremony will be officiated by the Commandant of the MNDF Coast Guard Colonel Muhammad Saleen. The Commandant is accompanied by the Defence Advisor of India to the Maldives Captain Prasanth Handu and the Principal Director of MNDF Coast Guard Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Mujtaba Muhammad. The government and the people of the Maldives are grateful for yet another momentous milestone in the friendship and cooperation of the two nations. As Coast Guard Kamyab is proudly inducted to the service for maintaining peace and prosperity in these waters, we convey our gratitude to the Government of India, the Indian Embassy in Maldives and the Indian Armed Forces for their tireless effort and successfully paving way for this significant undertaking. Thank you. I now invite the Minister of Defence, Her Excellency Adustaza Maria Ahmadidhi and Ambassador of India to the Maldives, His Excellency Sunjai Sudhir, to do the honours. Thank you Minister Maria and Ambassador Sudhir. Next is the exchange of MOUs under the High Impact Community Development Projects. The MOU regarding Indian grant assistance for implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects through local bodies was signed between the governments of the Maldives and India on 17th March 2019 during the official visit to the Maldives by external Affairs Minister of India, Her Excellency the late Sushman Swaraj. The purpose of this MOU is to implement projects which will contribute significantly to economic and social development and improvement of public welfare, particularly in the areas of education, health and community development sectors. The primary themes of the projects are livelihood activities, conservation of environmental and cultural heritage, empowerment of women and child welfare. Today three projects in Ardu city are being launched under the High Impact Community Development Projects. They are for establishing Kedoshima's plants Neighborhood Fresh Fresh Inplants in Hitadu, Huludu Meadu and Maradu. May I now invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Abdullah Shahid and Ambassador of India to the Maldives His Excellency Sunjai Sudhir to exchange their MOUs. May I also acknowledge the presence of Mayor of Ardu city Abdullah Sothik on behalf of the Implementing Agency. Thank you Minister Shahid and Ambassador Sudhir. Next is the exchange of the MOU for the use of the payment service rupe card in the Maldives. We will now see a short video on the use of the rupe card. The Republic of Maldives with 1200 islands located in the Indian Ocean is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Maldives occupies a very special place in the neighborhood first policy of the government of India. This is in perfect harmony with the India first policy of the government of Maldives. Whether it's a vacation, adventure sports, the cuisine or the mesmerizing beauty of the island nation has always been a source of admiration for Indians. September 2019 a big step for India and Maldives collaboration where the two nations signed an MOU towards acceptance of rupe cards across Maldives. With a view to further improve the existing bilateral relationship between the two countries through people to people contact by way of digitization of banking services. This will enhance bilateral tourism and people to people ties, a flagship project to increase the number of Indian tourists in Maldives. With this tie up rupe cards will be accepted across merchant locations and ATMs in Maldives. One of the most beautiful countries in the world will be even more with rupe powered by NPCI in partnership with Bank of Maldives. I'm the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Maldives, Mr. Timothi Soil and lead of international alliances of the National Payments Corporation of India, Mr. Hari Shankar Yadav to exchange the MOU. Thank you Mr. Soil and Mr. Yadav. The next item on the agenda is the dedication of LED street lights gifted by India to Mali city. The LED street lights were gifted to Mali city under the MOU on collaboration in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy signed between the government of Maldives and energy efficiency services limited of India on 17th March 2019. We will now see a short video on the work undertaken. The Maldives is a tropical heaven with its sandy beaches, pampering Thailand's and pristine waters. As close and friendly neighbors, India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links. Government of India has been a privileged partner in supporting the environmentally responsible and low carbon growth trajectory of the Republic of Maldives by upscaling energy efficiency programs. Honourable Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi during his visit reiterated India's commitment to help Maldives combat the impact of climate change. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India is playing a pertinent role in supporting these initiatives. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Mali city council and energy efficiency services limited EESL and undertaking of the Ministry of Power, Government of India to collaborate in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy. EESL has replaced over 2,500 conventional street lights with LED lights in Mali. The state is poised to achieve energy savings of nearly 0.2 million units annually. This translates to a total energy cost savings of over 0.8 million MdR per annum and a reduction of 145 tons in carbon dioxide emissions. The LED street lights are operated with a computerized control monitoring system which enables the council to operate the lights remotely. The LED street lights program in Mali has been well received by the citizens. The lights are technically more advanced and efficient in nature and Mali city council is being benefited by the reduction of electricity bills. I really appreciate the assistance provided by the Government of India and this program indeed will take the relationship of both countries to a new level. These LED street lights are not only energy efficient but are also proven to brighten up the streets resulting in enhanced safety and security of the citizens, bringing hope and brightness into the lives of the people, enabling energy and cost savings, ensuring a safe, green and clean future. I invite President Ibrahim Mohamed Salih to make his remarks. Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, your Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, As-Salaam-Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakat. I'm honored to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in celebrating another notable day in the Maldives-India relationship. My heartfelt appreciation to you, Prime Minister, for your personal commitment to further strengthen the very strong relationship between the Maldives and India. It is my pleasure to be here at this event to witness this exchange of agreements between the Government of Maldives and India. Both our countries are connected by the vast Indian Ocean, and over the years, reserving the safety and security of the ocean has brought us closer. The inshore patrol vessel Coast Guard ship Kamiab that was gifted today by the Indian Government to the Maldives Coast Guard will become a valuable asset in the Coast Guard's ability to protect our maritime borders and respond quickly to any situation that arise. Mr. Prime Minister, my government is committed to delivering people-centered growth that is inclusive and sustainable. One that delivers development to all the islands of the country. The MOUs on establishing fish processing plants in Addo, which were assigned today at the secure pledge of my government. The MOUs will contribute towards fetching better prices for fish, increasing fish purchase and processing capacity, and providing employment opportunities which will turn enhanced household incomes. We appreciate India's support towards realizing these aims. In the past year, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of Indian visitors to the Maldives. With the introduction of the Ruppe card here in the Maldives, our Indian visitors will be able to make payments in their own currency, and we are confident that the number of incoming visitors will continue to grow. The Maldives in India agree on the urgent need to address the global threat imposed by climate change. We, with the other island countries, are committed to working towards climate-smart resilient islands, a plan that seeks to utilize natural solutions, promote innovation, and leverage new technologies to build the resilience of our communities. A key area of this plan is the transition to renewable energy, the key focus of our agreement with the Indian Company Energy Efficiency Service Limited, which was signed earlier this year in March 2019. We are pleased with the progress made under this MOU in providing energy-efficient lights for all the streets in Mali. These efforts, though they may seem small, contribute in a big way towards the larger goals of energy efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint. Mr. Prime Minister, the government has always attached the highest priority to our relationship with India, and we are hurt to see the renewed dynamism in our age-old ties. I have every confident that the relations between our two countries will continue to flourish in the days ahead. The essence of our renewed commitment to further strengthen our bilateral economic and cultural ties is a strong political will of both our governments. I am happy to note that these agreements are occurring within the broader context of the MOU, deeper and more frequent diplomatic engagement with not only India, but with the Indian Ocean region as a whole. As one of the newest member of the Indian Ocean Reef Association, the MOU is interested in having a greater voice in regional affairs. I look forward to working with the Indian government in the near future to strengthen regional collaboration towards maritime security and commercial prosperity in the Indian Ocean region. I express my gratitude once again, Prime Minister, for facilitating these important agreements. I look forward to exploring even further avenues to strengthen the bilateral ties between India and MOUs in the near future. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. May I now invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make his remarks. Your Excellency, President Ibusoli, our distinguished friends from Maldives, colleagues, it is always a pleasure to connect with you, President Soli. You and Maldives are always in our hearts and minds. I would like to congratulate you on the first anniversary of your term which was celebrated few days back. It has been a landmark year for democracy and development in the Maldives. It has also been a significant year for India-Maldives relationship. My government's neighborhood first and your government's India first policies have made our bilateral cooperation in all sectors more strong. Implementing of our decisions has prompted development of Maldives economy, infrastructure, and capacity building. It is important that this progress has been achieved in areas of Maldives' priorities and requirements. Today, a made in India fast interceptor craft was officially handed over to your Coast Guard. This advance vessel has been constructed by L&T in my home state Gujarat. It will help enhance Maldives maritime security and promote your blue economy and tourism. Im happy to note that the patrol vessel has been named Kamiya, which means success in Diwahi as well as in Hindi. Excellency, I recall the importance your government has taken to develop development of Adu. India is happy to partner through high-impact community development projects for supporting livelihood of the island's communities. Friends, one of the key aspects of close relations between our countries is people-to-people contacts. Indian tourists, figures in Maldives have more than doubled. India has moved from fifth to second position. This week, three direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore have also started. Rupee payment mechanism will further ease the travel of Indians to Maldives. Im glad that this has been launched through the Bank of Maldives. Excellency, today we also dedicated LED street lighting to the people of Malay. India is very happy to bring to them benefits of this environment-friendly lights. They will also save 80% of costs. Excellency, we are also working on building a cancer hospital and a cricket stadium in Hul Malik. I am informed that work on water and sanitation projects in 34 islands and roads and reclamation work in Adu will begin soon. In the coming years, the projects under Indian assistance will bring even more benefits to the people of the Maldives. As a close friend and maritime member, India is committed to continue partnering with Maldives for democracy and development. We will also enhance our cooperation for peace and mutual security in the Indian Ocean region. Excellency, I look forward to meeting you in Delhi. I convey warm wishes to the friendly people of the Maldives for peace and prosperity. Thank you. Thank you very much. Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, this brings us to the end of today's ceremony. Thank you.