India launches direct cargo ferry service to Maldives

Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Maldives Ms Aishath Nahula jointly e-launched the service on Monday. "During its maiden voyage, a vessel with a capacity of 200 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and 3,000 MT (metric tonne) of break bulk cargo will sail from Tuticorin to Kochi today, from where it will proceed to Kulhudhuffushi port in North Maldives and then to Male port," the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement.

The government on Monday said it has launched a direct cargo ferry service to Maldives to strengthen bilateral relations. Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Maldives Ms Aishath Nahula jointly e-launched the service on Monday.

"During its maiden voyage, a vessel with a capacity of 200 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and 3,000 MT (metric tonne) of break bulk cargo will sail from Tuticorin to Kochi today, from where it will proceed to Kulhudhuffushi port in North Maldives and then to Male port," the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement. It is scheduled to reach Kulhudhuffushi on September 26, 2020, and Male on September 29, 2020.

This ferry service, being operated by Shipping Corporation of India, will run twice a month and will provide a cost-effective, direct and alternate means of transportation of goods between India and Maldives, the statement said. Shipping Minister Mandaviya termed the service as another milestone in the comprehensive bilateral relations between India and Maldives.

This direct cargo service will further cement the close ties between India and Maldives by enhancing people-to-people contact and boosting bilateral trade, he said. "Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Maldives, Ms Aishath Nahula expressed deep appreciation for the launch of the service as reflective of the close ties of friendship and cooperation between India and Maldives," the statement said.

The launch of this service fulfils the commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Maldives in June last year and the announcement made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his virtual meeting with the Foreign Minister of Maldives on August 13, 2020, the statement said..

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