Maldives anti-India stance: It shouldn't have been done, says Foreign Minister

MALDIVIAN Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer said on Thursday that the island country is taking “proper action" to ensure that ‘derogatory remarks’ against India are not repeated.

Zameer, who is on an official visit to India, according to newswire ANI, said that the governments of Maldives and India understand what has happened and they have passed that stage now.

"We have said that it's not the stand of the government or we believe that it shouldn't have been done. We are taking proper action to make sure that this doesn’t get repeated. There has been a misunderstanding, in social media. The governments of Maldives and India understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now," the Maldivian minister told ANI.

The ties between the two nations were affected after the former ministers – Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha, and Hassan Zihan – made “derogatory remarks" about Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his visit to Lakshadweep.

The ties were further strained after Mohamed Muizzu set a May 10 deadline for Indian military personnel to leave Maldives.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with Moosa Zameer and emphasized that the development of India-Maldives ties is based on "mutual interests".

“We exchanged perspectives on increasing engagement and exchanges between Maldives and India, both bilaterally and in the international arena," Zameer posted on X after the meeting.

Minister Moosa Zameer on declining tourism

- I believe the Minister of Tourism has clearly stated that he would like to extend a warm welcome, both personally and on behalf of the Maldivian people, to all Indians who wish to travel to the Maldives.

- We would like to encourage all Indian tourists to continue visiting Maldives.

- During the Covid-19 pandemic, Indian travelers indeed arrived in significant numbers in the Maldives, and this trend has persisted.

- In the past couple of months, we have experienced a 16 to 17% increase. While there has been a decrease in the Indian markets, I am confident that it will pick up in the near future.

On key maritime neighbour

"The peace and security of the Indian Ocean are crucial for both India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and the rest of our neighboring countries. So, as I mentioned earlier, we will continue to work together," Moosa told ANI.

On economic cooperation

Moosa Zameer emphasized that economic cooperation with India has been integral to the Maldivian economy. Therefore, if there is any debt with any country, including India, it needs to be discussed based on the those figures.

The Maldivian people have benefited from the debt and numerous grants received from the Indian government, and we genuinely appreciate that support, he said.