Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim who is currently the acting Transport Minister met with Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) operator GMR Group's CEO Andrew Harrison on Tuesday.
Nazim told Haveeru on Wednesday that discussions relating to the transition of airport operations from GMR to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) on Saturday had taken place during the meeting. However, the Minister did not divulge further details.
It is believed that prominent officials of the Indian infrastructure giant would meet Nazim again on Wednesday.
While the government had prematurely annulled the contract with GMR to run the airport for 25 years and given the company seven days to handover the airport, MACL had requested the necessary permit to operate the airport from the Transport Ministry.
However, GMR has vowed to challenge the Maldives government’s decision to “illegally” terminate the contract.
Maldivian government had insisted that it would continue with the process of taking over the airport from GMR in accordance with the seven day notice given to the Indian company despite the Singapore High Court's stay order on the eviction notice.
05/12/12 Ahmed Hamdhoon/Haveeru Online
