Mohamed Muizzu’s Visit to India

The Maldives will not act to undermine India’s security and views New Delhi as a “valued partner and friend”, and cooperation in several fields – including defence – will “always be a priority”, President Mohamed Muizzu said Sunday as he arrived in the national capital for his first bilateral visit.

Mr Muizzu – seen by some as a ‘pro-China’ leader who ran his election campaign on an ‘India Out’ platform – told a national English daily Maldives’ relationship with India is “built on respect and shared interests” and that Delhi has been, and is, one of his country’s largest trade and development partners.

The Maldives leader met Prime Minister Narendra Modi this afternoon; he received a ceremonial welcome from President Droupadi Murmu and Mr Modi at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Following his ceremonial welcome, Mr Muizzu left for Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, after which he holding bilateral talks with the Prime Minister at the Hyderabad House.

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“Maldives would never do anything to undermine security of India. While we enhance cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring our actions do not compromise the security and stability of our region…” he told The Times of India in an extensive interview yesterday.

Mr Muizzu, while not naming China, also underlined his administration’s resolve to “fostering growth and development through diverse international collaborations”. He flagged his ‘Maldives First’ policy, saying “it is essential for the Maldives to diversify international relations and reduce over-dependence on any one country”. However, he said that such engagements would not undermine India’s interests.

“Respect for our neighbours and friends is embedded in our DNA,” he said as he also called on Indian tourists to return. “Indians make a positive contribution… Indian tourists are welcome,” he said, batting for his country’s most important economic sector, which took a hit last year after the diplomatic row.

The Maldives’ Foreign Ministry distanced itself from the remarks and the ministers were suspended; two – Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef – resigned last month after the bilateral visit was confirmed.