Mohamed Muizzu on China: ‘Maldives would never do anything that undermines India’s security’

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a four-day state visit, has assured that his country would never do anything that undermines the security of India.

Muizzu, whose government is staring at an economic crisis in the island nation, is visiting India to reset his country’s ties with New Delhi. The Maldives-India ties had been strained since the former asked Indian troops to withdraw from the island nation. The Maldives’ ministers’ objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi further strained the bilateral relations.

Muizzu, who is known to be close to the Chinese administration, said on Sunday that the country’s relations with China will not jeopardise India’s security.

“Maldives would never do anything that undermines the security of India. India is a valued partner and friend of the Maldives, and our relationship is built on mutual respect and shared interests. While we enhance our cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring that our actions don’t compromise the security and stability of our region.

When asked about his decision on Indian troops withdrawal, Muizzu said he was addressing what he called domestic priorities.

“Maldives and India now have a better understanding of each other’s priorities and concerns. What I did is what the people of Maldives asked of me. The recent changes reflect our efforts to address domestic priorities. Our review of past agreements is aimed at ensuring they align with our national interests and contribute positively to regional stability,” he said.

He said the relationship between India and the Maldives has been strong and his visit will further strengthen it. The Maldives faces the possibility of defaulting on debt as its foreign exchange reserves have fallen to $440 million.

Muizzu had come to power riding on his “India Out” campaign last year. However, during a recent visit to the United States, he said at an interaction that he had a problem with the presence of foreign military personnel on the island nation and wasn’t against any country.

Muizzu met with external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday. He will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. The current visit by Muizzu to Delhi is his second since he attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in June.