India and the Maldives on December 13, vowed to boost anti-terror cooperation and expand their maritime security ties to deal with common challenges in the Indian Ocean, reports Business Standard."Both sides noted that India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Maldives' 'India First' policy were working in tandem to further strengthen a dynamic, multifaceted and mutually beneficial partnership that rests on the foundation of mutual trust, understanding and sensitivity to each other's concerns," a joint statement issued after the talks said.
"Both ministers emphasised the nurturing of a strong bilateral partnership in the maritime domain given the shared interests and common challenges in the Indian Ocean Region," the statement said.It said both sides agreed that a joint working group will meet soon to strengthen cooperation to combat common threats of terrorism, radicalism and drug trafficking in the region.