The Maldives had proposed a visit by President Mohamed Muizzu to India later this month. President Muizzu, who assumed office in November of last year, has so far visited Turkey, the UAE, and China, since coming to power, marking a departure from the tradition of making India the first foreign destination for a newly-elected Maldivian president. The visit was proposed before the current diplomatic crisis erupted over derogatory remarks by the ministers of the Muizzu government.
The President is currently on a week-long visit to China where he visited the Xiamen Free Trade Zone in Fujian province and engaged with senior officials of the China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC). Additionally, meetings were held with prominent Chinese political figures, including Zhou Zuyi, Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Party Committee, and Zhao Long, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Fujian Province. He will, later in the visit, meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as well.
President Muizzu’s administration, which came to power on an anti-India plank, has called on India to withdraw its troops from the country even though it acknowledged the role of Indian assets in humanitarian efforts. The current govt in the Island nation has also not renewed the hydrographic agreement with India. This move, coupled with derogatory remarks made by Maldivian ministers about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has led to a strain in bilateral ties.
The Maldivian government, in response to the controversial statements, has suspended the ministers involved in the derogatory comments incident & distanced itself from those comments.
The bilateral relationship between India and the Maldives had been positive before the Muizzu government assumed power. India has consistently supported various assistance projects in the Maldives, especially during critical moments, such as the 1988 coup attempt and the 2004 Tsunami. India’s swift response to the water crisis in Malé in December 2014 further solidified the ties.
New Delhi had also continued its support to the Maldives during the COVID-19 crisis by sending vaccines to the island nation. Additionally, India remains a key contributor to the training of the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting a significant portion of their defence training requirements.
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