Maldivian president Muizzu being welcomed at the airport.
Credit: X/ @MEAIndia
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to meet President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives in New Delhi on Monday, India hopes that the talks between the two leaders would lead to a turnaround in its relations with the Indian Ocean archipelago. Over the past few months, Maldives has warmed to China even as relations with New Delhi grew strained.
Shortly after Muizzu arrived in New Delhi for his first state visit to India as the president of the Maldives on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on him. “Pleased to call on President @MMuizzu today at the start of his state visit to India. Appreciate his commitment to enhancing the India-Maldives relationship. Confident that his talks with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties,” Jaishankar later posted on X.
Malé is expecting Muizzu’s meeting with Modi on Monday to result in New Delhi committing India’s long-term support to help the Maldives sail through the economic crisis. Muizzu is expected to ask Modi for India’s support in providing affordable housing as well as quality healthcare services in the Maldives, promoting tourism, and expanding fisheries and agriculture sectors across the archipelago.
“The two sides reviewed the progress of current initiatives supported by the Government of India and discussed exploring additional avenues, which both countries see as mutually beneficial in line with the current development priorities of the Maldives,” said a spokesman of the office of Muizzu after Jaishankar called on him.
An ‘India Out’ campaign catapulted Muizzu to the office of the president of the Maldives in November 2023. He replaced his predecessor Ibrahim Solih’s ‘India First’ doctrine with pro-China policies and made India withdraw all military personnel deployed in the archipelago for humanitarian evacuations from far-flung islands.
India, however, continued with its engagement with the Maldives. Muizzu was among the leaders who were invited to and attended the ceremony that marked the beginning of Modi’s third tenure as the prime minister on June 9.
Jaishankar visited Malé from August 9 to 12, when he inaugurated several projects funded by India in the Maldives. He also called on Muizzu, who called India the ‘closest ally’ of the Maldives, signalling a turnaround in ties.