Top leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region including Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday graced the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Delighted to call on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives today in New Delhi. Look forward to India and Maldives working together closely," Jaishankar wrote on social media after the meeting in New Delhi.
PM Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'SAGAR Vision'. He emphasised that in his third term, India will continue to work for the peace, progress and prosperity of the region in close partnership with the countries.
It is learnt that India has already sent invites to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and some other leaders of the countries chosen to grace the ceremony.
This would be Muizzu's first visit to India after the recent months witnessed a strained in the relations between India and the Maldives. Muizzu had demanded the expulsion of Indian troops from the island nation, which was completed ahead of the May 10 deadline set by the Maldivian President.
Muizzu had congratulated PM Modi on his re-election and voiced his desire to work with the Indian leader to advance bilateral ties. PM Modi's oath ceremony is also expected to witness the presence of leaders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
Muizzu was invited a day after he congratulated Modi following the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Lok Sabha Elections victory.
Several weeks following the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives, the two helicopters donated by New Delhi to the island nation are now being consistently utilized, with an MNDF soldier accompanying each operation.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry made the recommendations after the Maldivian government's decision to make the legal amendments necessary to ban entry into the Maldives on Israeli passports as soon as possible.
The Maldives government is set to prohibit entry for Israelis into the stunning Indian Ocean archipelago famous for its opulent resorts. This decision from Male follows mounting public outcry in the primarily Muslim country regarding the conflict in Gaza.
Denying reports of offering any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) proposals to Maldives, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that if Maldives is considering FTA with India, it will surely be looked into.
According to the Maldives trade minister, President Muizzu has offered free trade agreements to all countries, in order to enter into agreements with as many countries as possible to offer ease in trade activities.
Despite the challenges in their relationship, the Maldives is set to introduce India's RuPay service, hailed by a senior minister as a means to "strengthen the Maldivian Rufiyaa." RuPay, developed by the NPCI, stands as India's pioneering card payment network.
The Indian side, in a statement released on Tuesday, noted that a Maldivian government official had incorrectly mentioned the landing of a helicopter in Thimarafushi (Thaa Atoll) without the authorization of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
The SBI provided the Maldives with a rollover of a $50 million Treasury Bill, which is a unique government-to-government arrangement at zero cost. The financial support came despite strained ties between the two countries after pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu came to power.
The Maldivian minister's remarks came days after India completed the withdrawal of 76 military personnel from the archipelago nation. His remarks came as a surprise as officials from the current administration previously claimed that there were capable pilots in the military.
The foreign ministers of India and the Maldives met in New Delhi for the first time ever since relations between the two neighbouring nations soured. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar stressed that relations between the two nations are dependent on mutual interests.
Indian soldiers operating the aviation platforms have been replaced by civilian employees of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), said Maldives' foreign minister Moosa Zameer. India-Maldives ties deteriorated after President Mohamed Muizzu demanded the expulsion of Indian troops.
Maldives' pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu set the deadline of May 10 for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the country. Muizzu has previously accused India of meddling in the internal affairs of the Maldives, despite it being a crucial maritime neighbour.
Relations between India and the Maldives soured after three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory remarks towards PM Modi, leading to a tourism boycott of the country. The bilateral relations were already in hot waters due to President Mohamed Muizzu's pro-China policies.
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