Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu arrived here on Sunday for a four-day state visit, amidst an economic crisis looming in the island nation, and in a bid to reset strained ties with India. Muizzu will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, after which India is expected to announce pacts in the infrastructure sector to strengthen the bilateral relationship.
Muizzu, who will remain in India till Thursday, would also be visiting Mumbai and Bengaluru to attend business events. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Muizzu, on whose talks with Prime Minister Modi on Monday he was "confident that new impetus would be given" to "our friendly ties."
"Pleased to call on President Muizzu today at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment to enhance India-Maldives relationship. Confident that his talks with PM Modi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties," Jaishankar said in X.
India Maldives ties come under severe strain since pro-China Muizzu took charge of the top office in November. During his visit, Muizzu will engage Modi on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. This is Muizzu's second visit to Delhi after he had attended Modi's swearing in ceremony last June.
It was last year that Muizzu won the presidential election on the 'India out' campaign and asked New Delhi to withdraw its military personnel posted in the archipelago nation by May this year. Bilateral ties also hit a rocky patch when Maldivian ministers turned critical of Modi. However, Muizzu has since toned down his anti-India stance and even sacked ministers who were critical of the Indian PM.
India has decided to roll over a USD 50 million Treasury Bill for yet another year, extending vital budgetary support to the Maldives government as the country is grappling with a serious economic downturn. Credit rating agencies Moody's and Fitch have downgraded the Maldives in recent weeks owing to the rising external debt, high debt-to-GDP ratio, and falling foreign exchange reserves.
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