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India pledges continued support to Maldives at meeting with visiting minister
Abdulla Khaleel said there were “many examples” of the Indian government consistently standing by the Maldives “as an immediate responder in times of need
NEW DELHI: India on Friday pledged its continued support for the Maldives as the Indian Ocean archipelago grapples with economic issues, signalling a growing thaw in bilateral relations that went through a rough patch last year.
At a meeting with his visiting Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Khaleel, external affairs minister S Jaishankar reiterated the importance India attaches to bilateral ties and “assured continued support to Maldives under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy”, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
Jaishankar noted that there had been “some important [and] positive developments” in bilateral relations since Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to India last October, when the two sides agreed on a comprehensive economic and maritime security partnership to deepen ties.
“India has always stood by the Maldives. For us, you are a very concrete expression of our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy,” Jaishankar said, pointing to the assistance extended by India last year to help the Indian Ocean state cope with a debt crisis. This included the resubscription of treasury bills and currency swap lines of $400 million and ₹3,000 crore, which Jaishankar said were “very critical”.
Khaleel said the Maldives “deeply values the significant importance” of India as a beneficiary of the “Neighbourhood First” policy, and noted there were “many examples” of the Indian government consistently standing by the Maldives “as an immediate responder in times of need”.
“President Muizzu looks forward to working closely with the government of India to strengthen the partnership even further. I am here today to reiterate the president’s message to further strengthen Maldives-India friendship,” Khaleel said.
Jaishankar also noted the finalisation of a framework to promote the use of local currencies for cross-border trade. Both sides also signed a memorandum of understanding for implementing several community development projects under grant assistance from India.
Khaleel arrived in India on Thursday for a three-day visit aimed at bolstering bilateral ties in key areas such as trade and investment at a time when the Maldives is under considerable financial stress.
Bilateral ties took a hit last year after Muizzu came to power on the back of an “India Out” campaign. He forced India to withdraw more than 85 military personnel who were deployed in the Maldives to operate an aircraft and two helicopters, and his foreign policy displayed a tilt towards China.
However, relations improved after Muizzu was among regional leaders invited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration last year. The thaw continued during Muizzu’s subsequent visit to India, when the $400 million and ₹3,000 crore currency swap agreement was announced.
The external affairs ministry said Jaishankar and Khaleel reviewed progress in implementing the understandings reached during Muizzu’s visit last October. The visit of Khaleel also was an opportunity to deepen bilateral ties for the mutual benefit of the two countries and the Indian Ocean region, it said.
