In response to mounting tension between India and Maldives following the election of pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu last year, India has urged Maldives to deescalate tensions and improve relations between the two nations. This request was made during a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Maldivian counterpart, Moosa Zameer, in New Delhi. Jaishankar highlighted India’s role as a major supplier of development aid, including infrastructure projects, healthcare services, and medical care, indicating that it is in both countries’ mutual interest to find a solution that promotes their relationship. However, Zameer’s response was not immediately known.
The increasing competition between regional powers India and China in Maldives, which occupies a strategically vital position in the Indian Ocean, has heightened tensions. Muizzu’s pro-China stance and efforts to remove Indian troops stationed on one of Maldives’ islets have contributed to this escalation. According to reports, India has already withdrawn 51 of its soldiers from Maldives in two batches.
Muizzu campaigned on an “India Out” platform, accusing his predecessor of granting India excessive influence in Maldives. After becoming president, Muizzu traveled to China before visiting India, stating that Maldives’ small size should not be utilized as justification for any external power to bully the nation. He subsequently outlined plans to reduce Maldives’ reliance on India for essential services such as healthcare, education, and medicine.
Last year, India initiated building the Greater Male Connectivity project, a significant infrastructure endeavor in the Maldives, involving a 6.7-kilometer (4.2-mile) bridge and causeway linking the capital, Male, with three neighboring islands. Furthermore, India has collaborated with Maldives to construct 4,000 houses and has granted a $100 million credit line for additional infrastructure initiatives. The two countries have also agreed to cooperate in cybersecurity, disaster management, and fishing zone forecast capacity. In 2013, Maldives signed up for China’s Belt and Road initiative to construct ports and roads to facilitate commerce across Asia, Africa, and Europe, expanding China’s sphere of influence.
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