Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 16, 2024, 06:30 AM
India-Maldives News: Amid the long-standing tension between India and Maldives, Maldives Foreign Minister Musa Jameer has recently made an important statement. He said that there was difficulty in the relations between the two countries initially under the leadership of President Mohammed Muizzu, but now both sides have cleared the mutual misunderstandings. He made this remark during his visit to Sri Lanka on 15 September. On this occasion, Jameer also underlined the importance of maintaining strong relations with other major allies including India and China.Improvement in India-Maldives relationsMusa Jameer admitted that there were some challenges in India-Maldives relations after Muizzu became President, especially on the issue of withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives. He says, "There was some bitterness with India in the early days of our government. After the withdrawal of Indian troops, we have cleared the misunderstandings. The relations between our two countries are now in a better state." Zameer's remarks make it clear that the two countries have made significant progress in resolving their disputes. After the withdrawal of Indian troops, both sides deployed technical personnel together, which helped control the situation. However, tensions escalated due to objectionable remarks made by three Maldivian deputy ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but these ministers were later suspended.Muizzu's visit to India announcedMaldives President Mohamed Muizzu did not visit New Delhi after assuming office, but visited Turkiye and then China. However, his spokesperson recently announced that Muizzu will visit India on an official visit 'very soon'. Bilateral issues between the two countries are expected to be discussed during this visit.Economic situation and international supportMusa Zameer described the current economic situation of Maldives as 'temporary' and said that his country does not have any immediate need for a relief package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He also pointed out that Maldives' key bilateral partners, such as India and China, are sensitive to the country's financial situation and are supportive. "Our bilateral partners are very sensitive to our needs and situation," said Zameer.At present, Maldives has a debt of US$409 million, while the country's current foreign exchange reserves are US$444 million. Taking these figures into account, Zameer highlighted the importance of self-reliance and external support in handling the country's financial situation.Sri Lanka visit and financial discussionsZameer and Maldives Finance Minister Mohamed Shafiq held several important meetings with central bank officials and other financial experts during their visit to Sri Lanka. Financial issues were discussed in these meetings, which led to the consideration of measures to improve the economic situation of Maldives.These comments by the Maldives Foreign Minister and President Muizzu's plan to visit India appear to be an important step towards improving relations and economic stability between the two countries.