Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed his Maldives visit “productive” as the island nation, which has had a pro-China tilt in the past, seems to be warming up to India, with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu praising him as a “wonderful person.”“It was an honour to attend the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives,” said the Prime Minister. It was the first time that an Indian PM attended the Independence Day celebrations in the Maldives, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).At the event, PM Modi sat next to his counterpart Muizzu and watched the over 50-minute programme featuring a military parade and cultural performances.Muizzu’s praise for the PM is significant, considering it comes from someone who rose to power on an “India out” campaign, followed by derogatory remarks against Modi by his cabinet colleagues. The shift signals a notable change in the geopolitical dynamics of the Global South.Muizzu now calls India a “trusted friend” and broke protocol to personally receive PM Modi at the airport, rolling out the red carpet.“He is a wonderful person who is very fond of building relationships between India’s neighbours. The Maldives and India have a very good relationship that goes back centuries and with PM Modi’s leadership, cooperation between the two governments is going to be even more prosperous in the days ahead,” he said on the last day of PM Modi’s trip.The possible reason behind Muizzu’s changed stance lies in the Maldivian economy, which is under severe stress with a substantial budget deficit and dwindling foreign reserves. In such a situation, India’s support has become pivotal for his government to stabilise finances.Although the Maldives still owes China large debts, New Delhi has emerged as a key partner to help the island nation avoid potential economic default.During PM Modi’s visit, India announced a fresh USD 565 million line of credit (LoC) for the Indian Ocean neighbour and signed an agreement to reduce its annual debt repayment burden by 40 per cent.“To give a new impetus to our development partnership, we have decided to provide a line of credit of $565 million, or approximately Rs 5,000 crore, to the Maldives. It will be used for projects related to infrastructure development in line with the priorities of the people of Maldives,” PM Modi said, calling the Maldives a “true friend.”Muizzu also acknowledged India’s help, saying, “We all have seen how India has helped the Maldives in the past and nobody will doubt how India will be a very crucial partner going forward.”“India is one of the major tourism countries that helps the Maldives with tourism. With PM Modi’s visit, it is going to increase a lot. I am sure that people-to-people exchange between the two countries will greatly boost because of this visit,” he added.India remains indispensable to the Maldives for trade, connectivity and tourism. While China’s support continues, India’s proximity and willingness to provide urgent financial and developmental assistance have proved decisive in influencing Muizzu’s recalibration.PM Modi also met the island nation’s political leadership, including Vice-President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef and former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed, with the message that India looks forward to deepening its partnership with the Maldives.
PM Modi’s Maldives visit signals diplomatic thaw as Muizzu calls India a ‘trusted friend’
