During his first bilateral visit to India, President Mohamed Muizzu said: “The Maldives will not act to undermine India’s security and views New Delhi as a “valued partner and friend”, and cooperation in several fields – including defence – will “always be a priority”, President Muizzu said Sunday as he arrived in New Delhi.
The 46-year-old Maldives PM is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day. Speaking to Times Of India, he said: “Maldives would never do anything to undermine the security of India. While we enhance cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring our actions do not compromise the security and stability of our region.”
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Welcoming Indian tourists, Muizzu said: “Respect for our neighbours and friends is embedded in our DNA; Indians make a positive contribution… Indian tourists are welcome.”
Row With India
On January 4, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep and posted pictures of the beautiful island. While PM Modi had not mentioned the Maldives anywhere in his posts, many on social media began questioning why anybody should go to the Maldives when we have such pristine beauty in India.
President Mohamed Muizzu is considered a pro-China man by many who, along with former President Abdullah Yameen, fronted the ‘India Out’ campaign during elections in the archipelagic state. A massive social media war led to three Maldivian deputy ministers and a few MPs using derogatory language against PM Modi. After this, the Indian High Commission in Maldives raised strong objections on the issue of disrespectful remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi made by a few members of the Government of President Mohamed Muizzu.
In response, The Muizzu government distanced itself from the remarks, with the Maldivian Foreign Ministry saying that “it believes in freedom of expression, but that has to be exercised in a responsible manner”. “These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives. Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks,” the Foreign Ministry said. The three Deputy Ministers were suspended later.
34,847 Indian tourists visited Maldives in the first quarter of this year, down from 56,208 in the same period last year, a 38 per cent decrease.
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