No plans to return airport to GMR: President

President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said that the government has no plans to return the management of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to Indian company GMR.

Yameen said this while speaking to the media at the airport prior to his departure to India on an official visit today.

“Our position is very clear. The issue with GMR is now in arbitration, which will take place in March or April. To return the airport to GMR – the government has no plans for that,” he said.

The agreement with GMR signed by the government of former President Mohamed Nasheed has been terminated, and the management of INIA was handed over to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) on 8 December 2012.

Following this, GMR went into arbitration in Singapore, and hearings on this case have been scheduled for late March.

President Yameen said that no discussion on the GMR Issue has been scheduled for this visit.

“The Indian government has not discussed this issue with us. This time also, I’m not expecting the Indian government to bring up the issue of GMR,” he said.

He said that the problem involving GMR is not a problem between two governments, rather a problem between two companies.

The president is accompanied in this visit by senior officials of the government as well as leaders of Jumhooree Party (JP) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).

President Yameen said that discussions during the visit will be focused on strengthening the relations between the two countries, and facilitating more cooperation in sectors such as health and economy.