Maldives President tones down anti-India rhetoric and seeks debt relief from India
Switching to a softer tone, Maldives President Muizzu stated that India is a closest ally and asked his country for debt relief.
Maldives: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said on Thursday that India will remain his country’s “closest ally” and called for debt relief to his country weeks after his anti-India rhetoric. Notably, the archipelago’s land was worth approx. $400.9 million to New Delhi at the end of last year. The pro-China Maldivian leader has been making headlines since taking oath as president by pursuing a tough stance on India. He demanded that Indian Army troops operating three aviation platforms be returned to India from his country by May 10.
On Thursday, Muizzu, in his first interview with local media since taking office, said India has played a major role in providing aid to the Maldives and implemented the “largest number” of projects.
India will remain the Maldives’ closest ally, he said, stressing that there was no doubt about that, Maldives news portal Edition.mv said in a report that carried excerpts of Muizzu’s interview to Dhivehi sister publication Mihaaru.’
Muizzu’s comments praising India came after the first batch of Indian soldiers left the island this month as planned. On May 10, Muizzu had demanded that all 88 soldiers manning the three Indian aviation platforms leave the country.
India has been providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of Maldives in recent years using two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft.
The proximity of the Maldives to India, barely 70 nautical miles from Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the west coast of the mainland, and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes passing through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) it has an important meaning. strategic importance.
During the interview, Muizzu urged India to facilitate debt relief measures for the Maldives as it repays “the hefty loans taken over from successive governments.”
“The conditions we have inherited are such that very large loans are being made from India. That is why we are conducting discussions to explore leniency options in the repayment structure of these loans.
“So, instead of halting ongoing projects… to rush ahead with them, I see no reason for any adverse impact (on Maldives-India relations),” Muizzu added.
Muizzu’s conciliatory comments towards India came ahead of the parliamentary elections in the Maldives due to take place in mid-April.
He said the Maldives has received significant loans from India, which are heavier than can be supported by the Maldivian economy. “As a result, he is currently in discussions with the Indian government to explore options to repay the loans, to the best of Maldives’ ability,” the news portal said, quoting him.
Muizzu, who expressed hope that India would “facilitate debt relief measures in the repayment of these loans,” also said he expressed his appreciation to the Indian government for their contributions.
During the previous regime, led by the government of pro-India leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the total amount of loans from the Export and Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) was USD 1.4 million (MVR 22 million).
“Taken together, the amount owed by the Maldives to India at the end of last year amounted to MVR 6.2 billion, he said.
At the current rate of 1 MVR equal to USD 16, this is approximately USD 400.9 million.
“During our meeting, I also informed Prime Minister Modi that I had no intention of stopping ongoing projects. Instead, I have expressed my desire to strengthen and expedite them,” he said, referring to his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dubai on the sidelines of the COP28 Dubai summit in December 2023.
“I suggested that a high-level committee be established, one designed for quick decision-making, even in the bridge project, to ensure speedy work. The same applies to Hanimaadhoo airport,” he added.
Replying to a question about Indian military personnel, Muizzu called this “the only point of contention” that arose with India over the presence of Indian military personnel in the Maldives and added that India too had accepted the fact and agreed to return the military personnel Pull. .
“It is not nice to dismiss or ignore aid from one country to another as useless,” he said, asserting that he had not taken any action or made any statements that could strain the relationship between the two countries to make.
“Even if they are troops from another country, we will treat them the same. I said that very clearly. It is nothing personal but rather a matter of our national security,” he added.
Muizzu stated that his government acted to find through deliberations the quickest and most prudent solution to address the issue of the Indian Army in the Maldives.
He defended his agreement with India to use civilians instead of military personnel to fly the helicopters and Dornier aircraft, saying the former government of Abdulla Yameen, which demanded that Indian troops be deployed, failed to do so was successful as the Indian personnel remained in the Maldives.
While working towards the same goals in both cases, Muizzu indicated that results can be achieved through discussions and consultation. “Everything can be achieved through discussions and consultations. That’s what I believe,” he said.
Meanwhile, amid his weak ties with India, Muizzu had pursued a clear pro-China policy, starting with his visit to Beijing in January. During his visit to China, he signed a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership and signed 20 agreements to support the Maldives’ infrastructure following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China also announced a $130 million subsidy and promised to send more Chinese tourists to the tourism-dependent Maldives.
After returning from China, Muizzu, without naming any country, said the Maldives may be a small country but “that’s not a license for anyone to bully us.”
Muizzu also terminated a hydrography agreement with India, claiming that the Indian Ocean does not belong to any particular country.