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New Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday said India’s partnership with the Maldives is based on its deep desire to work together for each other’s welfare and interests, as he emphasised that the relationship with Male was one of the cornerstones of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Jaishankar arrived in Male for a three-day official visit to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives, the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation’s pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu assumed office last year.
The visit follows a period of strained relations between the two countries earlier this year, when three Maldivian ministers and some parliamentarians made derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tensions escalated further after the Maldives, under new President Mohamed Muizzu, reiterated its demand for the withdrawal of Indian troops from the country. As a result, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.
Addressing a press conference with Moosa Zameer after their talks, Jaishankar said, “India’s partnership with the Maldives is based on our deep desire to work together for each other’s welfare and interests. It is a partnership that has enabled us to always swiftly and effectively respond to challenges as witnessed in the past.”
“Maldives is one of the cornerstones of our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, it is also one of our Vision SAGAR, as well as of our commitment to the Global South. To put it succinctly in the words of my Prime Minister Narendra Modi – for India, neighbourhood is a priority and, in the neighbourhood, Maldives is a priority,” he said.
“We also share the closest of bonds of history and kinship,” Jaishankar said.
This visit is an opportunity to take stock of what both countries have achieved together as well as to chart out an aspirational blueprint for the coming years, Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar will also call on President Muizzu on Saturday.
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