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Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives President has now changed his mind and has called India, Maldives’ “closest ally” in a reconciliatory tone. This happened a few months after his anti-India rhetoric. Maldives now urged the national capital, New Delhi to provide them a debt relief. They owed India around USD 400.9 million by the end of 2023.
Why is Muizzu in talks?
In a recent interview with their local media, Muizzu highlighted the fact as to how direly they need continued support from India, specifically when it comes to addressing the Maldives’ debt burden. “India will continue to remain the Maldives’ closest ally, there is no question about it,” said the President to Mihaaru, which is a local Dhivehi language publication in Maldives. This was his first interview since assuming office in November, 2023. He also said that India has always helped them in providing aid to them and has implemented a huge number of projects in Maldives. Edition.mv , a Maldives news portal said all is this in a report which also carried excerpts of Muizzu’s interview to sister-publication ‘Mihaaru.’
At the close of 2023, the Maldives debt from India highlighted the significance of financial cooperation between both the nations. Muizzu appealed to India for leniency in the loan repayment and its term with the weight of substantial loans from India burdening the Maldivian economy. This leniency would seek ease to pre existing financial strain on the nation.
Ever since he became the Maldivian President in November, 2023, the pro-China Muizzu has been seen taking a hardline stand towards India and within a few hours had given an ultimatum and demanded that the Indian military personnel operating three aviation platforms should step back and be repatriated from his country by a given deadline. He now in his interview claimed that he has not taken any action and nor has he made any statements that leads to straining the relationship between India and Maldives.
What are the President’s statements?
In another interview, the Maldivian President, Muizzu said that he hopes that India will accommodate the debt relief measures for Maldives’ in the loan repayment for the hefty loans taken from India over the consecutive governments of the nation. The conditions that are stated by the Maldives are that the loans taken from India are of very hefty amounts and they will initiate discussions with the government to impose leniency in the repayment of the same. He said that instead of halting any projects that are already ongoing, they will proceed with them at a faster speed so that there are no adverse effects on the relations between the two nations.
The Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has previously displayed ‘anti-India’ rhetoric and has even ran electoral campaigns on the lines of excluding India by ‘India Out’. Ever since he has come to power, he has taken several unconventional steps that have triggered the ties between India and Maldives. The pro-China leader also departed from a long convention by not visiting India on his first official visit, but instead went to Turkey, followed by China. In December 2023, the Maldives even said that they would not renew the Hydrographic Survey agreement that was made with India and now is suddenly shifting their intentions towards the nation when they need leniency in loan repayment.
Muizzu even defended themself by saying that his aim was to help the country in becoming self sufficient when he was asked about his demands of the withdrawal of the Indian troops from Maldives. He further added that it was just the matter of national security.
