The
Maldives foreign minister
,
Moosa Zameer
, is likely to visit India this month, TOI has learnt. Both sides are in touch diplomatically to finalise the dates for Zameer’s visit but official sources suggested it could happen as early as next week.
If it happens, it will be the first high-level visit by either side since the Maldives’ pro-China president, Mohamed Muizzu, took office last year, defeating his India-friendly predecessor Ibrahim Solih.
India’s ties with the Indian Ocean neighbour have taken repeated hits since then with
Muizzu
working to limit defence and security cooperation with India, most notably by asking the Indian government to pull out troops operating Indian choppers in the archipelago and by walking out of a bilateral agreement that allowed the Indian Navy to carry out hydrographic surveys in the Maldivian waters.
The visit will take place in the middle of the Indian parliamentary elections, making Zameer likely the last high-profile foreign dignitary India will host during PM Narendra Modi’s second term.
The visit will also come around the May 10 deadline that Male had set for India to withdraw its troops and replace them with civilians. India reluctantly acquiesced to the demand, keeping in mind the geopolitical importance of the country which is where most of the major Indian Ocean shipping routes pass through and where China has made a dramatic comeback since Muizzu occupied the top office.
Muizzu chose China for his first state visit in January, becoming also the first democratically elected Maldivian president to travel to the country before visiting India. He signed a number of agreements with Beijing during his visit and another later for free defence assistance from China.
The visit will also follow the Maldives parliamentary elections that saw Muizzu strengthening his hold on power, with his ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) winning a super majority in Parliament . The pro-India Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was reduced to 12 seats in the elections.
Zameer may discuss with his counterpart S Jaishankar the possibility of a visit by Muizzu to India later this year. Maldivian officials had earlier claimed they had proposed a visit by Muizzu to India in November, shortly after his oath-taking. He’s also likely to seek leniency from India in the repayment of loans taken by successive Maldivian governments. Muizzu, who wants to “restore” ties with India on the basis of respect for sovereignty, had earlier urged debt relief measures from India for the repayment of “hefty” loans.
The 2 countries are also likely to discuss ways to carry forward defence and security cooperation. Muizzu will in the parliamentary polls outcome a vindication of his decision to oust Indian troops but he has said as president earlier that he will continue to pursue defence cooperation with India on the basis of mutual respect and trust. In an interview to TOI in January, he had said India will continue to play a key role in supporting the Maldives in building the operational readiness of the Maldives National Defence Force.
