New Delhi:

The Maldives will not act to undermine India’s security and views New Delhi as a “valued partner and friend”, and cooperation in several fields – including defence – will “always be a priority”, President Mohamed Muizzu said Sunday as he arrived in the national capital for his first bilateral visit.

Mr Muizzu – seen by some as a ‘pro-China’ leader who ran his election campaign on an ‘India Out’ platform – told a national English daily Maldives’ relationship with India is “built on respect and shared interests” and that Delhi has been, and is, one of his country’s largest trade and development partners.

The Maldives leader is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today.

“Maldives would never do anything to undermine security of India. While we enhance cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring our actions do not compromise the security and stability of our region…” he told The Times of India in an extensive interview.

Mr Muizzu, while not naming China, also underlined his administration’s resolve to “fostering growth and development through diverse international collaborations”. He flagged his ‘Maldives First’ policy, saying “it is essential for the Maldives to diversify international relations and reduce over-dependence on any one country”. However, he said that such engagements would not undermine India’s interests.

“Respect for our neighbours and friends is embedded in our DNA,” he said as he also called on Indian tourists to return. “Indians make a positive contribution… Indian tourists are welcome,” he said, batting for his country’s most important economic sector, which took a hit last year after the diplomatic row.

This is Mr Muizzu’s first bilateral visit and the comments reflect growing bonhomie after a months-long diplomatic stand-off last year, over three Maldivian ministers’ comments about Prime Minister Modi after a social media post about Lakshadweep as an alternate tourist destination to the Maldives.

The Maldives’ Foreign Ministry distanced itself from the remarks and the ministers were suspended; two – Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef – resigned last month after the bilateral visit was confirmed.

And then the request in May – weeks before attending Mr Modi’s swearing-in ceremony – to remove 90 military personnel deployed to three aviation platforms gifted by India – also raised eyebrows.

Delhi accepted the request and replaced military personnel with “competent technical” staff.

The ejection of Indian military personnel and an ‘India Out’ agenda was seen as one of Mr Muizzu’s key poll promises. Pressed on these topics, the Maldives President said he “did what the people of Maldives asked of me”, but stressed India remains a key partner in efforts to secure regional stability.

“This historic relationship is intertwined like the roots of a tree… built on centuries of exchange and values shared. The relationship between the Maldives and India has always been strong…”

Earlier Mr Muizzu denied having an ‘India Out’ agenda but insisted his country had a “serious problem” with the presence of foreign military on its soil. “The people of Maldives do not want a single foreign soldier in the country,” news agency PTI quoted his comments to local website adhadhu.com.

READ | Never Followed “India Out” Agenda:: Maldives’ Mohamed Muizzu

Mr Muizzu also spoke about India-assisted infrastructure projects, like the Greater Male connectivity scheme and water and sewerage facilities for 28 islands in the archipelago.

The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

READ | “India One Of Closest Allies”: Maldives Prez After Meeting S Jaishankar

India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said as he visited Male in August, during which recognises “common challenges and a shared interest in maintaining peace and security in the region”.

With input from agencies

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New Delhi:

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will be visiting India from October 6 to 10, the foreign ministry said today. This will be his first bilateral visit to India. He had earlier travelled to India in June this year for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers.

Mr Muizzu will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold discussions with PM Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest during his visit. He will also visit Mumbai and Bengaluru where he would be attending business events.

Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The nation also found a special place in the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’.

“The visit of President Mohamed Muizzu to India after the recent visit of the External Affairs Minister )S Jaishankar) to the Maldives is testimony to the importance that India attaches to its relations with the Maldives and is expected to lend further momentum to cooperation and robust people to people ties between the two countries,” the Minister of External Affairs said in a statement.

S Jaishankar visited the Maldives in August – first high-level trip from New Delhi after the island nation’s pro-China president, Muizzu, assumed office in November last year.

During his visit, he met the Maldives President and other top leaders and assured them that New Delhi attached top priority to its multifaceted relationship with Male and was determined to further its developmental cooperation with the country.

India’s relationship with the Maldives was hurt after Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as the President late last year.

Within hours of his oath, he demanded India replace the defence personnel it had stationed in the Maldives with civilians.

He, however, visited India to attend PM Modi’s oath-taking ceremony and recently reaffirmed his administration’s full commitment to strengthening the historic and close connections between the Maldives and India.

He said that India has always been one of the closest allies and invaluable partners, facilitating and providing aid whenever Maldives has needed it.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu will travel to India on an official visit “very soon”, his spokesperson said on Tuesday (September 10, 2024).

Heena Waleed, the chief spokesperson at the President’s Office, announced Mr. Muizzu’s visit on a day when two junior ministers, suspended in January for derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi — resigned from the government.

Also read | With China’s help, Maldives plans to lower dependence on India in tourism, trade and healthcare: Data

She said that while the exact date for the trip is yet to be finalised, the two sides are discussing a date, which is of convenience to the leaders of both countries, the Sun Online news portal reported.

“The President is scheduled to visit India very soon. As you are aware, such trips are scheduled for a time of maximum convenience to leaders of the two countries. Discussions regarding this are in progress,” she said during a press conference.

Mr. Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. Unlike his predecessors, who made the first port of call to New Delhi after assuming office, Mr. Muizzu travelled to Turkiye first and to China for his first state visit in January.

Heads of the states from India’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region attended Modi’s oath ceremony. Mr. Muizzu said he was delighted to receive Prime Minister Modi’s invitation and “equally delighted” to have attended the event.

On his return, Mr. Muizzu described his first visit to India as a “success” for the Maldives and the region following talks with India’s top leadership and said that the strong ties between the two countries will lead to increased prosperity for the Maldivians.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the Maldives in August — the first high-level trip from New Delhi after Muizzu assumed office in November last year.

India’s relationship with the Maldives came under strain since Mr. Muizzu took charge as the President. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives. After talks between the two sides, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

Things escalated after three Maldivian Deputy Ministers made controversial remarks regarding India and Prime Minister Modi on social media.

Maldives Foreign Ministry distanced itself from their remarks, saying they do not represent the views of the Male government.

The three junior Ministers were suspended, and two of them — Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef — resigned on Tuesday.

The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.