President Mohamed Muizzu expressed regret over the derogatory remarks made by a former minister about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While attending the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in the U.S., President Muizzu made his remarks on Thursday during a question-and-answer session at Princeton University’s “Dean’s Leadership Series.”
According to a report by the Maldivian media outlet Adhu, Muizzu said, “Nobody should say such things,” marking his first public response to the controversial statements that strained relations between the two countries.
“I took action against it,” he added, referring to the minister’s comments on social media, as reported by the Maldivian news portal adhadhu.
He denied having an “India Out” agenda and emphasized that the Maldives has a “serious problem” with the presence of foreign military forces on its territory, the report added.
‘Visiting India as soon as possible’
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said that he is planning to visit India as soon as possible. He also praised the “very strong” bilateral relationship between the two countries, ANI reported.
“I am planning to visit (India) as soon as possible…We have a very strong bilateral relationship,” Muizzu told ANI on sidelines of 79th United Nations General Assembly.
Notably, if happens, it will be Muizzu’s second visit to India, after first making the visit in June during the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier on September 20, India extended budgetary support to the Maldives government in the form of a rollover of the USD 50 million Treasury Bill for another year on the Maldivian government’s request, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives said.
“At the request of the Maldivian government, the State Bank of India (SBI) has subscribed the USD 50 million government Treasury Bills (T-bills) issued by the Ministry of Finance of the Maldives for a period of one more year upon the maturity of the previous subscription on September 19,” the Indian High Commission in the Maldives said in a press release.
It is pertinent to note that earlier, almost every Maldivian President used to make his first foreign visit to India. Still, Muizzu changed the trend by first visiting Turkiye and then China after coming to office earlier this year.
The Mohamed Muizzu government in the Maldives took a reconciliatory tone after ties between the two nations soured, leading to a diplomatic row.
After the Muizzu government officially requested the withdrawal of Indian troops, India established a High-Level Core Group to address the issue, completing the withdrawal in May. However, tensions escalated when three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Modi regarding his Lakshadweep visit.
This led to a diplomatic dispute, prompting New Delhi to summon the Maldivian envoy and lodge a formal protest. The deputy ministers were suspended with pay.
Data from the Maldives Tourism Ministry revealed a 33 percent drop in Indian tourist arrivals this year compared to last. In August, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the Maldives, where he and his counterpart, Moosa Zameer, inaugurated High Impact Community Development Projects and exchanged MoUs.
Earlier this year, President Muizzu thanked India for its support in easing the Maldives’ debt repayment and expressed hopes for stronger ties, including a potential free trade agreement.
