PM Modi meets Maldives President Muizzu

PTI, Oct 7, 2024, 12:16 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu here for extensive discussions on strengthening bilateral ties that are emerging after hitting a rocky patch last year.

Muizzu arrived here on Sunday evening on a four-day visit.

“Taking forward India-Maldives special ties! PM @narendramodi warmly received President @MMuizzu of Maldives as the latter arrived at Hyderabad House. Extensive discussions on India-Maldives bilateral relations lie ahead,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

Earlier, Muizzu was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Droupadi Murmu. Prime Minister Modi was also present on the occasion.

Muizzu was given a tri-services guard of honour before he drove down to Rajghat to offer his respects at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

This is Muizzu’s firs state visit to India since assuming office in November last year. He had visited Delhi in June for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi’s third term in office.

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 in November.

Muizzu won the presidential election last year on the ‘India out’ campaign and asked New Delhi to withdraw its military personnel posted in the archipelago nation by May this year.

The bilateral ties also hit a rocky patch when Maldivian ministers were critical of Modi. However, Muizzu has since toned down his anti-India stance and even sacked ministers who were critical of the Indian prime minister.

As the Maldives was grappling with a serious economic downturn, India has decided to extend vital budgetary support to the Maldives government with the rollover of a USD 50 million Treasury Bill for another year.