New Delhi:
Maldivian Defence Minister Mohammed Ghassan Maumoon is scheduled to start his three-day visit to India on Wednesday to deepen bilateral engagement amid a thaw in relations between the two countries. This will be the Maldivian Defence Minister’s first visit to India since pro-China President, Mohamed Muizzu’s government took office in November 2023.
The visit by the Maldivian minister comes over eight months after India withdrew its military personnel from the island nation following a demand by President Muizzu, and signals a shift toward recalibrating Maldives’ security ties with India.
During his three-day stay in India, Maumoon will visit New Delhi, Goa and Mumbai and will hold wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh besides meeting several senior officials.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s bilateral meeting with Maumoon is scheduled in New Delhi on January 8, according to the Ministry of Defence. It said that the two leaders will review the various facets of bilateral defence cooperation, including training, exercises and defence projects to enhance the capability of the Maldives National Defence Forces as well as the supply of defence equipment.
“The Maldives occupies a special place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, which aims to bring stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region,” the Ministry said.
“Both nations are key players in maintaining the safety and security of IOR, thus contributing to India’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR),” it added.
India-Maldives Relations
The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties including in areas of defence and security witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government in Male.
The ties, however, came under severe strain after Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November 2023. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians. There was a thaw in relations as Muizzu vowed to boost bilateral ties with India during his visit to Delhi in October.
Recently, India and the Maldives reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral cooperation in a meeting between foreign minister S Jaishankar and his visiting counterpart Abdulla Khaleel. The two countries also signed an MoU for the implementation of projects in the archipelago nation under grant assistance from India.