President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the Maldives will remain friendly and have no hostility towards countries that respect our sovereignty.

Speaking at a rally held in Thaa Atoll Veymandoo today, the President said the things that have to be done to defend Maldivian independence are not ordinary. He said it was a shame that some Maldivians were speaking out against him when he started working to defend Maldivian independence.

"I am not going for a confrontation with any country. Our foreign policy will be based on friendship. As long as they respect our freedom and our sovereignty, there will be no country that will be our enemy," he said.

The President said that instead of cooperating with the government's efforts to defend Maldivian independence, some Maldivians are criticizing the efforts. He stressed that the Maldivian Special Economic Zone (EEZ) is very large and if fisheries can be expanded in the EEZ, it will become a bigger industry than the tourism industry, he said.

He said the people do not want the EEZ to be handed over to another country. The government is trying to manage the EEZ on its own and it should be investigated who spoke against it, he said. The people should work to support the government's efforts to manage the EEZ on their own, he said.