New Delhi: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is expected to visit India on a bilateral trip on October 7, sources told news agency ANI on Friday. India and the Maldives had been preparing for Muizzu's expected visit since early September, his second trip to India after he visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.
Heena Waleed, the chief spokesperson at the President's Office, announced 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 on September 10. "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.
Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. On his return, 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.
Muizzu denies pursuing 'India Out' campaign
Late last month, the Maldivian President denied pursuing an 'India Out' agenda, saying that he never had any problem against any one country but had a "serious problem" with the presence of foreign military on its soil. "We have never been against any one country at any point. It's not India Out. The Maldives faced a serious problem with a foreign military presence on this soil," Muizzu was quoted as saying while responding to a question at Princeton University's “Dean’s Leadership Series”.
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He also condemned disparaging remarks made against Prime Minister Modi during the latter's visit to Lakshadweep on January 2 and 3 to inaugurate several projects. "No one should say such a thing. I took action against it. I will not accept insulting anyone like that, whether he is a leader or an ordinary person. Every human being has a reputation," he said.
The deputy ministers had criticised Modi for his post on 'X' following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives. This triggered huge outrage in India, where thousands of tourists cancelled their planned trips, resulting in massive losses to Maldives- a country heavily dependent on its tourism industry.
India-Maldives relations
The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since November last year when Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as Maldivian president. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms in the Maldives.
Maldives' Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer has acknowledged that the Maldives-India ties witnessed rough patches in the initial days of President Mohammad Muizzu-led government but insisted that the two countries have resolved the “misunderstandings". "(We) have good relations with both China and India, and both countries continue to support Maldives,” he said.
Over time, an apparent thaw was witnessed in the tensions between India and the Maldives as Muizzu was invited to PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony. Muizzu had also expressed commitment to preserving and strengthening relations with neighbouring India, calling it one of the "closest allies and invaluable partners" of the archipelago nation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the Maldives in August - the first high-level trip from New Delhi after Muizzu assumed office last year.
(with inputs from agencies)
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