Maldives President Muizzu Meets S Jaishankar in Delhi Ahead of Talks with PM Modi
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu met Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday, just hours after arriving in Delhi for his four-day bilateral visit to India from October 6 to October 10.
Pleased to call on President @MMuizzu today at the start of his State Visit to India.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2024
Appreciate his commitment to enhance 🇮🇳 🇲🇻 relationship. Confident that his talks with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties. pic.twitter.com/UwDjnCZ0t6
Following the meeting, Jaishankar tweeted, “Pleased to call on President @MMuizzu today at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment to enhancing India-Maldives relationship. Confident that his talks with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties.”
Muizzu was accompanied by his wife, First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, on this visit. This is Muizzu’s second visit to India in four months and his first bilateral state visit.
During the visit, Muizzu is scheduled to meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu and discuss key bilateral, regional, and international issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also travel to Mumbai and Bengaluru to attend business events.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, “Maldives is a key maritime neighbor of India in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a special place in Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighborhood First Policy’.”
Notably, Muizzu previously visited India in June for Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
However, the relationship between India and the Maldives became strained after Muizzu assumed office, largely due to his ‘India Out’ campaign, which called for the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives. Diplomatic tensions further escalated after derogatory remarks were made by some ministers in Muizzu’s cabinet against Prime Minister Modi. While those ministers were removed, tourism in the Maldives suffered as Indian tourist footfall decreased.
Both sides have since made efforts to repair ties, with the Maldives recognizing India’s pivotal role in its economic, security, and infrastructure development.
