Maldives president meets India's Modi in China
With the photo, Modi said the development partnership with the Maldives is bringing benefits to the people of both countries.
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President Dr Mohamed Muizzu met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China.
The meeting was made public when Modi posted a photo of the two leaders together on Sunday. With the photo, Modi said the development partnership with the Maldives is bringing benefits to the people of both countries.
This marks President Muizzu’s second official visit to China. China is the largest lender to the Maldives’ development projects, with loans amounting to USD 1.4 billion.
India has long been the Maldives’ closest neighbour. The previous government’s policy of seeking military assistance from India faced criticism from the current administration’s leaders. Before coming to office, Muizzu and his coalition had supported campaigns such as “India Out” and “India Military Out.”
Relations with India deteriorated in the early days of Muizzu’s government after remarks made by some deputy ministers against Modi. However, the government has since altered its position and is pursuing closer ties with India.
Foreign Minister Dr Abdulla Khaleel has stated that the “India Out” campaign is linked to former President Abdullah Yameen, who is no longer part of the government.
