‘Difficult patches’ in ties resolved after Indian troop withdrawal: Man | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Misunderstandings with India have been resolved with the withdrawal of troops from the Maldivesthe Indian Ocean neighbour said as India prepares for the first official visit of President Mohamed Muizzu this month.
Relations between the two countries have improved dramatically since India replaced its military personnel, who used to man the Indian government’s relief helicopters and aircraft, with civilian personnel. This has led to a resumption of high-level visits. Muizzu had urged the withdrawal of Indian troops and said he would not allow any country to interfere with or undermine the sovereignty of the Maldives.
The thaw in relations with India has not come at the expense of the archipelago nation’s reorientation toward China, however. This is evident, for example, from the agreement signed last week to strengthen trade and investment ties with Beijing. There are also ongoing talks to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking about the Maldives’ ties with India and China, Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer during a visit to Sri Lanka admitted that relations with India had faced challenges following Muizzu’s attempts to expel Indian military personnel. “At the beginning of our government, we had some rough spots (with India), you know,” Zameer was quoted as saying by a Maldivian newspaper. He added that these “misunderstandings” had been resolved after the repatriation of Indian troops. Interestingly, on the day Muizzu’s office announced his visit to India, the Maldivian media also reported that two junior ministers who had made derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year had resigned from the government.
“We have good relations with both China and India, and both countries continue to support the Maldives,” he said, thanking both countries for their support at a time when international credit agencies have warned about the country’s financial health.
Zameer said the Maldives has no plans to IMF bailoutand dismisses the current economic challenges his country is facing as “temporary”. He said: “We have bilateral partners who are very sensitive to our needs and our situation. I really don’t think this is the time for us to engage with the IMF now. The problem we have is very temporary, because we have a dip in reserves at the moment.”
This week it was reported that China has rescued the Maldives from the brink of financial crisis with a bilateral agreement that will apparently serve as a framework for cooperation in “promoting the settlement of current account transactions and direct investment in local currency”.
“China will, as always, provide support and assistance to the economic and social development of the Maldives within its capabilities,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.