India In Maldives

Maldives opposition parties mock President Muizzu over 'U-turn' on India

As Maldives President Muhammad Muizzu visits India, the main opposition on Tuesday took a swipe at his naive and inexperienced administration and said it has now realised that diplomacy cannot be conducted through lies and deceit. Former president Mohamed Nasheed echoed the sentiment, terming India and Maldives as natural partners while referring to Muizzu's meetings with the Indian leadership in New Delhi. Muizzu is on his first state visit to India from October 6 to 10. Pro-China Muizzu had assumed office last November riding on the back of an aggressive 'India Out' campaign. Within hours of taking oath, he had asked India to repatriate its military personnel from the three platforms in the archipelagic nation. After mutual agreement, close to 90 personnel were repatriated by May 10 this year. The relations between the two South Asian nations further turned sour when two Maldivian ministers poked fun after Modi posted photographs of Lakshadweep Islands in January this year. Indi

From China to security: Maldives' Muizzu tries to address India's concerns

While this is his first official state visit to New Delhi, it marks Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's second visit to India, following his attendance at PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony in June

CDS Gen Chauhan holds talks with Maldivian military commander Hilmy

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Saturday held extensive talks with Maldives' Chief of Defence Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, focusing on a reset of military ties that came under severe strain after President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in November last. The talks between the two top military officials came a day after India and the Maldives held the fifth round of defence dialogue which decided to expedite implementation of the ongoing defence projects. Officials said the talks were aimed at furthering the bilateral defence cooperation, especially on measures to strengthen regional security and enhance bilateral training opportunities. It is understood that cooperation in the maritime security domain dominated the discussions. The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office around 10 months back. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of the Indian

Ties based on shared democratic values: Indian High Commission to Maldives

India's "special relationship" with the Maldives is based on shared democratic values, the Indian mission here has said, expressing confidence in intensifying Parliamentary linkages with the archipelago nation. The Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, Munu Mahawar, paid a courtesy call to Speaker of the Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Thursday. "The High Commissioner of India to the Maldives, H.E. Shri Munu Mahawar, paid a courtesy call on Hon. Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People's Majlis," the Maldivian Parliament's official account said in a post on X on Thursday. "India's special relationship with the Maldives is based on shared democratic values. We look forward to intensifying our Parliamentary linkages," the Indian High Commission said, reposting it. Earlier this month, Mahawar called on President Mohamed Muizzu at the President's Office, and the two nations reiterated the "unwavering" commitment to fostering "continued close relations" and enhancing bilateral

'No proposal made': MEA rejects Maldivian minister's claim on FTA

India on Thursday said it has not made any proposal to the Maldives for a bilateral free trade agreement (DTA) and that it was ready to consider if the island nation expresses interest for such a pact. "No specific proposal for a bilateral FTA with the Maldives has been made by the Government of India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "If the Government of Maldives expresses interest in having an FTA with India, we will give it due consideration," he said. Jaiswal's comments came in response to a question at his weekly media briefing. Last week, Maldivian Minister for Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed indicated that India has initiated efforts to have an FTA between the two countries. "They (India) want there to be a Free Trade Agreement with Maldives, in addition to SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement)," Saeed told a press conference in Male. The Maldives President has offered this opportunity to all countries, Saeed said, adding that

76 Indian troops replaced by civilians in 3 aviation platforms: Maldives

Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer on Saturday said 76 Indian military personnel were replaced by civilian employees of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited which manufactured the helicopters gifted by India, thus also ending the suspense over the exact number of those repatriated. The Indian military personnel, stationed in the Maldives to operate two platforms for helicopters and a Dornier aircraft used primarily for medical evacuations, were repatriated by Friday, as per the May 10 deadline set following an agreement between the two countries in February in New Delhi. That agreement was a result of the demand of pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu made within hours of his assuming office in November. Local media reports on Saturday quoted Zameer addressing a press conference a day after he returned from his first official visit to India, detailing the presence of Indian soldiers stationed in Hanimaadhoo, Kadhdhoo and Gan. As many as 26 soldiers withdrew from Gan betwe

India fully withdraws soldiers from Maldives ahead of May 10 deadline

India has withdrawn all its soldiers from the Maldives, the government here has said, ahead of the May 10 deadline set by President Mohamed Muizzu for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. President Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, had set May 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the Indian military personnel from his country. Repatriation of some 90 Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives was a key pledge of Muizzu during his presidential campaign last year. The last batch of Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives have been repatriated, confirmed Heena Waleed, President's Office Chief Spokesperson told Sun.mv news portal, without giving the number of Indian soldiers. She added details about the number of the soldiers stationed would be disclosed later. The Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to operate and maintain two helicopters and Dornier aircraft India gifted earlier. Earlier, the Maldives ...

India withdraws 51 military personnel from Maldives: Prez spokesperson

India has withdrawn 51 of its soldiers from the Maldives so far, the government here has said ahead of the May 10 deadline set by President Mohamed Muizzu for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. The Maldivian government earlier announced that two batches of Indian soldiers had left the country. However, the exact figure was not disclosed previously. The Chief Spokesperson of the President's Office Heena Waleed, in response to questions regarding the issue, said on Monday, that a total of 51 Indian soldiers have been repatriated so far. "All Indian military personnel in the country will be withdrawn from the Maldives by May 10. As of now, 51 soldiers stationed at two platforms have been repatriated," Heena was quoted as saying by the Edition.mv news portal. She however refused to disclose the exact figure of the Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives, stating the details would be shared at a later date, Sun.mv. news portal reported. According t

Maldives feels the pinch as Indians shun the islands. What do numbers say?

Nationalism, coupled with cheaper alternatives and ease of visa access to countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, is driving Indian tourism away from the Maldives

Maldives thanks India for allowing export of essential commodities

Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Saturday said India's gesture to renew the quota to allow the export of certain quantities of essential commodities for his nation signifies the longstanding bilateral friendship and the commitment to further expand trade and commerce. India allowed the export of certain quantities of essential commodities for the year 2024-25 at the request of the Maldives government, the Indian High Commission said here on Friday. Announcing the move through a post on social media platform X, the Indian High Commissioner said that this was being done under a unique bilateral mechanism under which the quotas for each of these items have been revised upwards. The approved quantities are the highest since this arrangement came into effect in 1981, the notice by the mission said. Zameer took to X to thank India for the move. "I sincerely thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of #India for the renewal of the quota to enable #Maldives to import essentia

Suspended Maldives minister apologises after post on Indian flag sparks row

Mariyam Shiuna had shared a social media post showing an opposition party's poster with the Ashok Chakra in the middle

Maldives President Muizzu calls India its closest ally, seeks debt relief

After his anti-India rhetoric, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has struck a reconciliatory tone, saying India will continue to remain his country's closest ally and urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the archipelago nation. The Maldives owed approximately USD 400.9 million to India by the end of last year. Ever since he took oath as the president in November last year, the pro-China Maldivian leader has pursued a hardline stand towards India and within hours had demanded that Indian military personnel operating three aviation platforms be repatriated from his country by May 10. On Thursday, in his first interview with the local media since assuming office, Muizzu said India was instrumental in providing aid to the Maldives and has implemented the greatest number of projects. India will continue to remain the Maldives' closest ally, he said and emphasised that there was no question about it, Maldives news portal Edition.mv said in a report that carried excerpts of Muizzu's

"People of Maldives are sorry": Former Prez Nasheed on India-Maldives row

'No Indian troops after May 10': Is the Maldives getting closer to China?

First batch of Indian technical personnel have reached Maldives, says MEA

The Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldives government has formally requested that India withdraw its troops from Male

Centre's projects in Maldives gain pace, despite strained security ties

New Delhi has spent nearly Rs 7.71 billion ($93 million), or almost twice its budgeted 4 billion on projects in the Maldives during this fiscal year, which ends in March, according to an official

China displaces India as largest tourism market for Maldives amid row

Amidst a diplomatic row between the Maldives and India, Chinese tourists have overtaken Indian holidaymakers visiting the archipelago nation, according to official figures released here on Monday. According to official statistics from the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism, as of February 4, China, with 23,972 tourists occupied the number one slot (11.2 per cent market share in 2024); it was on the number three spot in 2023. India, which was on the number 1 slot in 2023, has slipped down to 5th position as of Sunday with 16,536 tourists (7.7 per cent market share in 2024) coming to this island nation. The development could be a fallout of a full-blown backlash directed at the Maldives following the derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media by three Maldivian ministers after Modi posted photos and video on X of his visit to the pristine Lakshadweep Islands on India's west coast earlier in January. Soon after the remarks against Modi went viral, ...

Indian troops in Maldives to be sent back before May 10: President Muizzu

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Monday said the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back from the island nation before March 10 and the remaining manning two aviation platforms will be withdrawn before May 10, as he articulated the need to bolster the Indian Ocean archipelagic nation's military capabilities. In his maiden address to Parliament, Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, said the support of a large majority of the Maldivian citizens for his administration was for the "pledges to withdraw foreign military troops from the country." Soon after taking oath as the President of Maldives on November 17, Muizzu formally requested India to withdraw 88 military personnel from his country by March 15, saying the Maldivian people have given him a "strong mandate" to make this request to New Delhi. In the presidential runoff held in September last year, Muizzu, 45, defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. His government is also reviewing m

Amid diplomatic row, Maldives Prez Muizzu conveys greetings on 75th R-Day

President Muizzu also expressed hope for continued peace, progress, and prosperity for the Indian government and the people for the coming years

Explained: Why does President Muizzu want Indian troops out of Maldives?

Bilateral relationship between India and Maldives involves defence cooperation, with Indian soldiers training Maldivian counterparts in combat, reconnaissance, and participating in rescue operations