S Jaishankar meets Mohammed Muizzu discuss India-Maldives bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday. Both leaders discussed several issues.

After the meeting, Jaishankar wrote on his official X handle, "Privileged to call on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Conveyed greetings from PM Modi."

"Committed to deepening India-Maldives ties for the benefit of our people and the region," he added.

After the meeting, President Mohamed Muizzu, who once ran an "India Out" campaign, stated that India has always been "one of the closest" allies and "invaluable" partners, facilitating and providing aid "whenever Maldives has needed it".

Jaishankar is on an official three-day visit to the Maldives, which is to be concluded on Sunday, August 11. On Friday, he reached Male. The main purpose behind the visit is to strengthen the partnership between the two countries and explore possibilities to enhance bilateral ties further.

The visit comes after relations between the two countries took a hit earlier this year, when three Maldivian ministers and some parliamentarians made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Tensions between both countries escalated after the Maldives, under President Mohamed Muizzu, renewed calls for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel, a move that has stirred diplomatic unease in the



region. Following Muizzu's insistence, Indian troops stationed in the Maldives were replaced with civilian personnel, marking a significant shift in the country's foreign policy.

Muizzu, who is widely recognized for his pro-China orientation, gained prominence through his ‘India Out’ campaign, which directly opposed the policies of his predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Muizzu's victory in the September presidential runoff, where he ousted the India-aligned Solih, signals a potential realignment of the Maldives' geopolitical alliances.

This is Jaishankar's first visit to the archipelago nation following his second term as External Affairs Minister.

"The External Affairs Minister (EAM) of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, will pay an official visit to the Maldives from August 9–11. The visit follows the recent visit of the President of the Republic of the Maldives, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, to India for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet and Council of Ministers," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Jaishankar had previously visited the Maldives in January 2023.

The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government in Male.