New Delhi: While the Maldives and India suffered a “rough patch” in ties following Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s assuming power in November last year, the “misunderstanding” between the two countries has been resolved, the Maldivian foreign minister has said.
Foreign affairs minister Moosa Zameer made the remarks, as cited by the Maldives-based The Edition outlet, during a visit to Sri Lanka on Friday (September 13) and ahead of Muizzu’s anticipated visit to India later this month.
“At the start of our government, we did have some rough patches [with India], you know,” Zameer said. He was also cited as saying the bilateral “misunderstanding” was resolved after Indian troops left the island nation.
He was referring to the exit of Indian troops tasked with operating three aircraft in the Maldives for humanitarian and medical evacuation purposes by May. The soldiers were replaced by Indian civilian personnel.
Early this year, some Indians also called for a boycott of the Maldives as a tourist destination after three of its deputy ministers made offensive remarks targeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The three were suspended thereafter.
Zameer’s remarks come a few days after a spokesperson for Muizzu announced he was “scheduled to visit India very soon”. She did not specify a date but Muizzu is expected to visit India this month.
Relations between the Maldives and India did witness a sense of ‘normalcy’ following Muizzu’s initial months in power, although he is believed to be sympathetic to China and visited the country before India, breaking from the precedent set by his predecessors.
During his Colombo visit, Zameer also told reporters that his government has “good relations with both China and India, and both countries continue to support [the] Maldives”.
Just two days ago the Maldives and China signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at “promoting the settlement of current account transactions and direct investments in local currencies”.
The pact has been cited as an example of the Maldives’ “reorientation towards China and away from India”.
The Maldives, which reportedly owed 25.2% of its external debt to China’s Export-Import Bank even as of June last year, has seen an increase in its foreign debt and a dip in its foreign reserves.
Its credit rating has been downgraded in the recent past – including as recently as this month – but Zameer said his government does not plan on approaching the International Monetary Fund for the “temporary” financial problems.
“We have bilateral partners who are very sensitive to our needs and our situation,” The Edition quoted him as saying.
