- The Union Cabinet has given approval for the MoU between India and Maldives for the establishment of passenger and cargo services by sea, which was signed during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Maldives.
- The MoU will pave way for ferry services between Maldives and Kerala by Connecting Kochi with Male & Kulhudhuffushi in Maldives by Sea route.
- Further,this proposed ferry service will contribute in a big way to promote people to people (P2P) contact and to boost bilateral trade.
- At present,connectivity between the two countries is through flights to Male and seaplanes to resorts which is an expensive option.
- This sea connectivity will also help to promote inbound tourism particularly health and wellness tourism for India.Besides,large number of Maldivians also travel to Kerala and other South Indian cities for educational purposes.
- Male is the capital and most populous city of Maldives is situated at a distance of 708 Kms from Kochi.Kulhudhuffushi is the third most populous city of Maldives and is situated at a distance of 509km from Kochi.
