India and Maldives relations: Mohamed Muizzu, the president of the Maldives, has expressed optimism regarding the relationship between the Maldives and India ahead of his trip to India for Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony as he begins his third term as prime minister. “Maldives-India relations are heading in a positive direction,” said Muizzu.
Along with leaders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, President Muizzu was invited to the ceremony. It is his first trip to Delhi since taking office a year ago.
President Muizzu expressed his gratitude for receiving the invitation, which Munu Mahawar, the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, had personally delivered. According to a Maldivian statement, “the President expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for the invitation, adding that he would be honoured to attend this historic event.” Additionally, he expressed his excitement about collaborating with Prime Minister Modi to enhance the strong ties with India.
Developing Mutual Understanding
During a courtesy call at the President’s Office, the Indian High Commissioner delivered the invitation, and Muizzu thanked him for doing so personally. Following the event, President Muizzu and Prime Minister Modi are anticipated to have a bilateral meeting. They first met in person in Dubai last year, and this will be their second meeting there.
After a period of tension over the Maldives’ demand for the withdrawal of Indian troops owing to sovereignty issues, relations between the two nations have recently improved. As Financial Express reported, Indian civilian employees who are in charge of managing Indian assets have since taken their place. This action has been taken as part of the initiatives to reduce hostilities and promote goodwill between the two parties.
As previously reported, Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer visited India last month with an emphasis on debt relief from that country. In the meantime, India has maintained its development alliance with the Maldives, stressing the value of cooperation.
India’s First Official Visit
Since taking office on November 17 of last year, President Muizzu’s first official visit to India will be this one. Muizzu made his first state visit to China in January after visiting Turkey, unlike his predecessors, who gave priority to trips to New Delhi. Muizzu strained bilateral relations when, shortly after taking office, he demanded the evacuation of about 88 Indian military personnel from the Maldives.
Security and Cooperation in the Region
As part of India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, leaders of nearby nations, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles, are anticipated to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
India requested cooperation in 2023 to address shared issues facing the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), such as climate change and the sustainable exploitation of marine resources. Building defense and security ties was the main topic of conversation between India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during the latter’s visit to the Maldives.
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As a sign of their shared commitment to maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean region, Singh gave the Maldives National Defence Forces control of two “Made in India” platforms: a Landing Craft Assault Ship and a Fast Patrol Vessel.
Singh emphasized that cooperation is essential for maintaining the security and tranquility of the region and that it is necessary for the stability, peace, and prosperity of the IOR. He called for cooperative efforts to ensure the peaceful exploitation of the resources of the Indian Ocean for regional prosperity, citing the sustainable exploitation of maritime resources and climate change as major challenges.
This diplomatic effort serves as a reminder of how delicate international relations are and how crucial it is to have polite official discourse to avoid strained diplomatic relations.
