India-Maldives relations no longer cold?

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will “soon visit” India.

Presidential Spokesperson Heena Waleed announced the information today, September 10. However, the exact date of the visit is not yet clear as the two sides are still discussing a convenient time for both leaders.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's visit to India is expected to warm bilateral relations. (Source: AP)

President Mohamed Muizzu, who is seen as pro-China, won elections last year on a pledge to end a policy that gave top priority to relations with India.

Unlike the practice of his predecessors, after taking office (November 17, 2023), he made two state visits to Türkiye and China in January this year.

Half a year later, the Maldivian leader visited New Delhi, attending the inauguration ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 9. He described the visit as a “success” for the Maldives and the region.

Relations between India and the Maldives have been strained since Mohamed Muizzu took office as president, shortly after calling for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three Indian-funded airports.

In May, New Delhi confirmed that it had replaced about 80 soldiers in the Maldives with civilian staff at the request of the host country's president.

The relationship further deteriorated when three Maldivian deputy ministers made controversial statements about India and Prime Minister Modi on social media.

The Maldives government subsequently suspended three deputy ministers pending an investigation. Two deputy ministers, Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef, confirmed their resignations today.

There have been a number of recent moves that show India-Maldives relations are warming up. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar visited the Maldives from August 9-11, marking the first high-level visit from New Delhi after Muizzu assumed office.

On September 6, the two countries held the 5th round of the Defense Cooperation Dialogue, focusing on strengthening security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.

India sees the Maldives as an important maritime neighbor in the region. Bilateral relations, especially in defense and security, improved significantly under former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quan-he-an-do-maldives-het-thoi-nguoi-lanh-285775.html