External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday concluded a crucial visit to Male. However, he assured the country’s top leaders that the Maldives remains an important partner of India in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region. Notably, this was Jaishankar’s first high-level trip from New Delhi after President Mohamed Muizzu, widely regarded as a pro-China leader, assumed office in November last year. India’s relationship with the Maldives soon came under severe strain due to the actions of the new government.
During his visit, Jaishankar called on President Muizzu and held wide-ranging talks with his counterpart Moosa Zameer. He also met Maldivian Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon, Ministers of Finance and Economic Development and Commerce and Governor of Maldives Monetary Authority. Jaishankar’s visit highlights the importance of Maldives, India’s maritime neighbour, as a key partner in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and ‘SAGAR’ Vision, i.e. Security and Growth for All in the Region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Sunday.
“The Maldives remains an important partner of India in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region. The visit reaffirmed the long-standing commitment of both countries to strengthen their multidimensional bilateral relationship and deepen their close people-to-people ties,” he said.
India-Maldives relations
India’s relationship with the Maldives has been highly strained since Muizzu took office as president late last year. Within hours of being sworn in, he demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three air platforms donated by India to the Maldives. Following talks between the two countries, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.
During his meeting with President Muizzu, Jaishankar conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Muizzu appreciated the continued development assistance extended by India to Maldives and reaffirmed his commitment to further deepen the India-Maldives relationship, the Ministry of External Affairs statement said. At the President’s Office, Jaishankar and External Affairs Minister Zameer jointly inaugurated, in the presence of President Muizzu, the Indian Line of Credit (LoC) assisted water and sewerage network project on 28 islands of Maldives.
Jaishankar held talks with Zameer
Jaishankar held talks with his counterpart Zameer and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations. He had productive talks with Defence Minister Maumoon during which both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen the defence and security partnership between India and the Maldives. His meeting with Maumoon came amid China’s growing military ties with the Maldives since President Muizzu assumed office last year. A sophisticated Chinese research vessel docked at a Maldivian port and the two countries have also signed a bilateral military agreement.
Jaishankar also met the Ministers of Finance and Economic Development and Commerce and the Governor of the Maldivian Monetary Authority and discussed ways to strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries. During these interactions, the Maldivian side appreciated India’s support for the overall development of the Maldives, including social, infrastructure and financial sectors, the Ministry of External Affairs statement said. Jaishankar also met a delegation of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) led by its President Abdulla Shahid. The MDP is the main opposition party in the Maldives.
Jaishankar also meets Maldivian opposition leader
In Male, MoUs were exchanged on capacity building of 1,000 additional Maldivian civil servants in India and on introduction of UPI in Maldives. Six High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) were also jointly inaugurated with financial assistance from India in the areas of mental health, special education, speech therapy and street lighting. EAM along with External Affairs Minister Moosa Zameer and Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim planted a sapling at Lonuziyaaraiy Park as part of Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ initiative and President Muizzu’s 5 Million Tree Project.
Jaishankar, accompanied by the Minister of External Affairs and Minister of Construction and Infrastructure of Maldives, visited the site of the Indian-assisted Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) and jointly reviewed the progress of this flagship development project that will connect Male with the adjacent islands of Villingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. He also interacted with members of the Indian community in Male and appreciated their contribution to India-Maldives relations.
As part of the visit, Jaishankar also visited Addu City, during which he, along with the External Affairs Minister and the Minister for Construction and Infrastructure, jointly inaugurated the Addu Coastal Protection and Reclamation Project and the Addu Diversion Link Bridge Project. The Maldives is one of India’s major maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, saw an upward trajectory under the previous government headed by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
(With contributions from the agency)
READ ALSO: Maldivian President Muizzu praises India, his ‘closest ally’, thanks PM Modi for generous assistance
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.