Is the coolness in India-Maldives relations finally over?

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will “soon visit” India.

The President's spokesperson, Heena Waleed, announced the information today, September 10th. However, the exact date of the visit is still unclear as both sides are still discussing a time convenient for both leaders.

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

President Mohamed Muizzu, widely considered to have pro-China views, won last year's election with a promise to end the policy of prioritizing 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 of this year.

Six months later, the Maldivian head of state arrived in New Delhi to attend the inauguration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 9th. 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, he called for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel managing three Indian-funded airports.

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

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

The Maldivian government subsequently suspended three deputy ministers pending an investigation. Today, two deputy ministers, Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef, confirmed their resignations.

Recently, a series of developments have emerged indicating warming relations between India and the Maldives. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar visited the Maldives from August 9-11, marking the first high-level trip from New Delhi since Muizzu took office.

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

India views the Maldives as an important maritime neighbor in the region. Bilateral relations, particularly 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