Last Updated: November 02, 2023, 08:11 IST
Indian High Commissioner Mahawar paid a courtesy call to Foreign Minister Shahid in Male on Wednesday.
India’s envoy to Maldives, Munu Mahawar, reviews multi-faceted accomplishments in bilateral relations with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid
India’s envoy to the Maldives Munu Mahawar met Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid in Male on Wednesday and they took stock of accomplishments under various pillars of the bilateral ties and reaffirmed commitment to further strengthening relations between the two countries.
“A warm and cordial meeting with H.E. FM @abdulla_shahid today. Both sides took stock of accomplishments under various pillars of India-Maldives partnership. Reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening India Maldives relationship,” the High Commission of India in Maldives said in a post on X.
Great pleasure to call on H.E. Foreign Minister @abdulla_shahid .Took stock of the all-round tremendous progress made in our multifaceted relationship and conveyed our deep appreciation for the strong support received from @MoFAmv in achieving this. https://t.co/s3jbPqcOQv
— Amb Munu Mahawar (@AmbMunu) November 1, 2023
Earlier, the Maldives Foreign Ministry said that Indian High Commissioner Mahawar paid a courtesy call to Foreign Minister Shahid. “Minister Shahid commended India’s continued commitment to consolidate the Maldives-India bilateral ties,” the ministry said in a post on X.
The meeting came ahead of inauguration of President-elect Mohamed Muizzu later this month. His election raised expectations in China that the archipelagic state strategically located in the Indian Ocean close to India’s southern coast will pursue pro-Beijing policies, unlike incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih who pursued India’s first policy and established close ties with New Delhi.
Muizzu has pledged to withdraw foreign military personnel stationed in the Maldives. In a Bloomberg interview last week, he said Maldives has started talks with India to remove its military presence. The issue of removing Indian troops from the Maldives was a key campaign promise made by Muizzu, who recently defeated former President Ibrahim Solih in the elections.
Muizzu said he had already begun negotiations with the Indian government on removing its military presence, calling those talks “very successful already.” “We want a bilateral relationship that’s mutually beneficial,” Muizzu told Bloomberg, adding that Indian soldiers would not be replaced by troops from other countries.
Around 70 Indian military personnel are currently stationed in the Maldives, overseeing radar stations and surveillance aircraft sponsored by New Delhi. Adding to that, Indian warships play a role in patrolling the Maldives’ exclusive economic zone. During Solih’s tenure, India besides undertaking many infrastructure projects and providing economic assistance to Maldives which has a population of 5.21 lakh people. India also provided vaccines to Maldives during the Covid crisis.
(With agency inputs)
