Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is set to visit India from October 6 to 10, the Newstracklive has learnt. This visit marks his first bilateral trip to India since taking office nearly a year ago.
During his visit, Muizzu is expected to engage in discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 7. His itinerary includes stops in three major cities: Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Arrangements for a busy schedule are currently being finalized.
The groundwork for this visit has been in preparation for about a month, with the primary challenge being the alignment of schedules for both leaders.
In a statement made on September 27, Muizzu addressed comments made by two former deputy ministers who had mocked Modi. He condemned their remarks and denied any intention of pursuing an anti-India agenda. "No one should say such a thing. I took action against it. I will not accept insulting anyone like that, whether he is a leader or an ordinary person. Every human being has a reputation," he said during his attendance at the UN General Assembly in the US.
Earlier this year, Deputy Youth Ministers Malsha Shareef and Mariyam Shiuna faced backlash for derogatory social media posts about Modi, which led to a diplomatic dispute. Following the incident, both ministers were suspended and subsequently resigned.
Regarding the notion of an anti-India agenda, Muizzu clarified, “We have never been against any one country at any point. It’s not ‘India Out’. Maldives faced a serious problem with foreign military presence on its soil. The people of Maldives do not want a single foreign soldier in the country.”
However, after a recent visit to China, Muizzu had previously described India as a "bully" without naming the country. "We might be a small country, but that does not give you the license to bully us," he remarked.
This upcoming visit is crucial as relations between India and the Maldives have deteriorated since Muizzu took office, largely due to his campaign against India's military presence. Shortly after assuming power in November 2023, Muizzu requested the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.
Following negotiations, both countries agreed that India would withdraw approximately 80 military personnel from the Maldives between March 10 and May 10. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft in the Maldives would continue to be operated by "competent Indian technical personnel" who would replace the current staff.
After this personnel replacement, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer visited Delhi in May. Muizzu also attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony a month later. In August, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar traveled to Male to discuss various aspects of bilateral cooperation.
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