Amid the current diplomatic row, Maldives is looking forward to engaging with India to expand existing bilateral cooperation and to explore new avenues where the two countries can agree to work together. Male has communicated this to New Delhi through diplomatic channels on Tuesday, sources told The Daily Guardian. Maldives is also learnt to have proposed a visit by President Mohamed Muizzu to India later this month, and sought New Delhi’s approval for this. The Indian side has not given any approval for the same as yet, sources said. “However, the proposal is under active consideration, and dates convenient for us will be communicated to Male,” an official told this newspaper.
The development came a day after the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi summoned High Commissioner of Maldives to India, Ibrahim Saheeb following controversial statements by some Maldivian ministers about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ministers were later suspended by the government in Male. MEA told Maldivian envoy that the onus is on Muizzu “to repair the strain” in relations between India and Male.
In what was seen as a tough posturing by India, Maldivian envoy was sent back to the exit door within four minutes after being summoned, sources said. In what is also being seen as a snub to Maldives, the Indian government has not yet given any approval to Male’s proposal for the visit of Muizzu to New Delhi, a diplomatic source told The Daily Guardian.
“While the Maldivian diplomats are awaiting the dates to be given green signal by the Indian side, New Delhi may take some time,” he added. “At the same time, whenever Muizzu comes to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will use the opportunity to ensure that the two countries expand existing ties so that China could not get any chance to fish in troubled waters,” a diplomat says. The Indian side will also use the visit of Maldivian President to apprise him of New Delhi’s objections to Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which Muizzu has praised during his visit to Beijing.
Officials here say that Maldives is giving the message that it wants to control the damage to the bilateral ties due to derogatory statements by Muizzu’s ministers. say officials.
People aware of the development said Muizzu’s visit was discussed during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 United Nations Climate Summit in UAE last year. Maldives President Muizzu is currently visiting China. Relations between the island-nation and India have entered a strained phase after Maldivian ministers insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and used racially derogatory comments to insult Indians. The Maldivian government has suspended those ministers and distanced itself from those comments.
