Male: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday expressed commitment to preserving and strengthening relations with neighbouring India, calling it one of the "closest allies and invaluable partners" of the archipelago nation. He made his remarks at a ceremony held in the President's Office to hand over the completed water supply and sewerage facilities on 28 islands in the Maldives, funded by the Government of India’s Line of Credit Facility through EXIM Bank of India.
According to a press release, Muizzu acknowledged that India has facilitated and provided aid "whenever the Maldives has needed it" and the initiatives will provide significant economic benefits, boost the local economies, and together contribute to the nation's prosperity. He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for their generous and continued assistance to the Maldives.
Muizzu on historic ties with India
Speaking at the ceremony, the Maldives President said the projects are key milestones in the bilateral relations between the two neighbours and also recalled his visit to India in June to attend PM Modi's swearing-in event, expressing appreciation for the invitation and the opportunity to meet the Indian Prime Minister as well as President Droupadi Murmu.
He also asserted that centuries of friendship, mutual respect, and a strong sense of kinship have nourished the relations between the Maldives and India. Muizzu said Maldivians value the deep and historic ties with the Indian people and are committed to its preservation and enhancement. He also expressed optimism on seeing Maldives-India cooperation prosper and develop in the coming years.
Muizzu meets Jaishankar in Malé
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, currently on a three-day visit to Malé, met Muizzu on Saturday. Sharing the details on X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar said, "Privileged to call on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Conveyed greetings of PM Narendra Modi. Committed to deepening India-Maldives ties for the benefit of our people and the region."
The President expressed his appreciation to Jaishankar, for the efforts to strengthen relations between the Maldives and India, according to the Maldivian President's Office. Jaishankar also met with Maldivian Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon earlier in the day.
Jaishankar also held productive discussions with Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer in Malé. They jointly inaugurated six High Impact Projects focused on areas such as street lighting, mental health, children’s speech therapy, and special education. They also witnessed the signing of an MoU between the National Payments Corporation of India and the Maldivian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, which will introduce a digital payment system in the Maldives.
India-Maldives relations
Jaishankar’s visit is his first to the Maldives since President Muizzu’s government took office. It is viewed by experts as a commitment by both nations to revamp ties, with a significant emphasis on bilateral meetings. Muizzu, who took office last year, initially demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives. However, an agreement was reached, replacing the Indian military presence with civilian personnel.
The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November 2023. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms in the Maldives.
ALSO READ | Jaishankar meets Maldivian President Muizzu, reaffirms commitment to strengthen India-Maldives ties
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