President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the Maldives is an independent and sovereign nation and that surveillance of the Maldives' jurisdiction should not concern any external parties.

The President made the remarks while speaking at the ceremony held at Maafaru International Airport in the Noonu Atoll to launch the Maldives National Defence Force's (MNDF) Air Corps and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Emphasising that the Maldives isn't a small nation, the President stated that the Maldives stretches along nine hundred thousand square kilometres and is capable of monitoring its jurisdiction. He added that the Maldives is an independent and sovereign nation and that surveillance of the Maldives' jurisdiction should not concern any external parties. He further explained that this would not impede the Maldives’ close relations with all countries.

The President said that if stability and peace is to be established in a region, every country in the region must be "stable, thriving and independent". He said the people of the Maldives should have the full right to do so too.