PM Modi Affirms Strong Ties with Maldives: ‘Our Friendship Will Always Shine Bright’

On Friday evening the prime minister, Narendra Modi held official discussions with president Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives. The two-day visit to the island nation right after this landmark visit to the UK is a strategic visit by Modi since Muizzu had been elected in 2023 on an India Out campaign as a poll plank.

Modi arrived in Male early Friday, and he is the first foreign leader to visit President Muizzu.

The Maldives and India are likely to formally start negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement and Indian is also likely to extend to them a line of credit of $565 million.

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Modi will also virtually open the expansion of an international airport in the island of Hanimadhoo which India is also aiding in its financing.

He will visit Maldives on the weekend of the 60th anniversary celebrations of independence of Maldives from Britain.

How India-Maldives relations came back on track

In fact the relations between the two nations have been sourced after Muizzu came into the office with a promise to change the policy of the Maldives of giving preference to India under the policy of the Maldives called the India first policy, and strengthening the ties with China.

New Delhi though, reclaimed its clout since it assisted in ensuring that the Maldives economy that has the debt of $7.5 billion did not default on the loan, as an analysis by Reuters showed.

Muizzu has travelled to India, which was last October, and has also travelled to China which is the biggest lender to Male to get funds.

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Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri preclaimed that controlled diplomacy had re-established India-Maldives relations before Modi flew out of town on his mission: “There will always be events that will impact or try to intrude on the relationship. But I think this is testimony to the kind of attention that has been paid to the relationship, and including attention at the highest levels.”

Ex-Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid, as Reuters quoted, said the visit of Modi showed that Muizzu had decided to take a step back and rectify the record.

The Maldives forms part of India's Neighbourhood First policy, MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision, the Indian foreign secretary stated during his briefing earlier in the week; thus, it is a very crucial partner.

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