Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who got elected to power last year on “India Out” campaign and known for his pro-China stance, has arrived in India for a significant state visit which is primarily aimed at improving diplomatic relations between the countries.
The Ministry of External affairs posted on its X handle that the Maldives President accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday, October 6.
During his stay in India, Muizzu is scheduled to hold meetings with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officials of the Indian government.
The visit will certainly help the two nations to improve the previously strained ties, as Maldives seeks to balance its foreign policy between India and China.
Muizzu’s “India Out” campaign in 2023 advocated removal of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives.
At that point of time, Muizzu had expressed concerns over the foreign troops operating from the strategically important locations of his country.
In the recent months, relationship between the two nations has shown signs of improvement as they took steps to bridge the diplomatic gap.
In May, Maldivian foreign minister Moosa Zameer visited India, and it reciprocated by sending External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to Maldives in August.
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India, in a gesture that underlines its commitment to supporting its maritime neighbor, also helped the Maldives avoid a potential default on Islamic bond payments by extending the subscription of treasury bills worth $50 million for another year.
Muizzu has also been dialing down his rhetoric against India while maintaining his country’s strategic ties with China.
Last month, Muizzu, while addressing the United Nations General Assembly, clarified that his country’s concerns were solely on the presence of foreign military personnel, not directed against any particular nation, a direct reference to India.
