Maldives President Muizzu meets S Jaishankar in Delhi day before talks with PM
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a four-day bilateral visit to India, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hours after his arrival in Delhi on Sunday.
“Pleased to call on President @MMuizzu today at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment to enhance India-Maldives relationship. Confident that his talks with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties”, Jaishankar posted on X after his talks with Muizzu on Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday, Muizzu landed at the Delhi airport and was accompanied by Madlives’ First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. This is Muizzu’s second state visit to India in four months and his first bilateral visit.
During his visit to India, from October 6 to October 10, Muizzu will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The Maldivian President will also visit Mumbai and Bengaluru, where he will be attending business events, it said.
“Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a special place in Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Notably, the Maldivian President visited New Delhi in June to attend PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
The ties between India and the Maldives got strained after Muizzu became the President of the Maldives. Notably, Muizzu rose to power based on his ‘India Out’ campaign, where he demanded the withdrawal of Indian troops and support staff from the Maldives.
The diplomatic row further intensified after some ministers in the Muizzu cabinet used derogatory language against PM Modi after he posted pictures of his trip to Lakshadweep. While the said ministers were removed from the cabinet, tourism in the Maldives took a hit as tourist footfall decreased from India.
However, both sides tried to repair ties after the Maldives acknowledged India’s pivotal role in its economic development, security, and infrastructure projects.