Maldives President Tones Down Rhetoric On India, Agrees On Joint Committee

India-Maldives Ties: After heightened tensions between both countries ever since a new dispensation has come to power in Malé, India and Maldives have decided to sort out the “irritants” in the bilateral relationship by agreeing to setting up a high-level committee that will seek to “stabilise” the ties, ABPLIVE has learnt.

The decision to establish the high-level joint committee was taken during the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Friday on the margins of the COP28 meeting in Dubai.

The decision comes in the backdrop of President Muizzu facing a major political backlash in his country even as differences have crept in between him and his former ally ex-Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, a vocal proponent of anti-India sentiments who ran a pro-China regime.

The high-level committee is likely to be co-chaired by the high commissioners of the respective countries and it will seek to “smoothen out” the issues concerning bilateral ties, particularly with respect to security and defence issues, sources told ABPLIVE.

The sources also said while President Muizzu raised directly with PM Modi the issue of the presence of Indian military personnel in Maldives and how it has become an issue with Maldivians, New Delhi has assured Malé of addressing it “through a dialogue mechanism”.

“President @MMuizzu and I had a productive meeting today. We discussed ways to enhance the India-Maldives friendship across diverse sectors. We look forward to working together to deepen cooperation for the benefit of our people,” Modi said on X after the meeting in Dubai.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday, both sides “discussed ways to further deepen their partnership” and in that regard agreed to set up a “core group”.

“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. They also highlighted the importance of development and economic cooperation, people to people contacts between the two countries and discussed ways to enhance this, including setting up a high level committee,” said a press statement issued by the Maldives’ President Office.

Although President Muizzu did not post anything about his meeting with PM Modi from his personal account, a post by the President’s Office stated: “President @MMuizzu had a productive meeting with Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi. The two leaders discussed cooperation between the Maldives and India on matters of concern and sensitivities for the people of Maldives and of mutual benefit to the people of the two countries.”

The meeting comes in the backdrop of rising tensions between New Delhi and Malé for the past more than years when the Indian Ocean island nation witnessed growing protests against India. The protests were fanned by Muizzu and his supporters, then aligned with former President Yameen who began the ‘India Out’ campaign that was specifically targeted against the presence of Indian military there.

New Delhi had literally severed all ties with Malé during Yameen’s tenure that continued from 2013 till 2018 when his China-backed government cancelled a $511 million deal with GMR Infrastructure while Beijing lapped up large-scale infrastructure projects and brought the Indian Ocean nation under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), much to India’s discontent. China, which opened its embassy there only in 2011, was able to rapidly penetrate into that country.

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Riding on the infamous ‘India Out’ campaign and cleverly exploiting the anti-Indian military sentiments, Muizzu came to power as the new President of Maldives, defeating his predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who followed an ‘India First’ policy.

After coming to power, Muizzu reiterated strongly what he had been mentioning throughout his election campaign, to remove Indian military personnel who are engaged in various projects in Maldives.

In a meeting with Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju, who had gone to attend Muizzu’s swearing-in ceremony, the newly elected President made a formal request to remove Indian military personnel from there while he also acknowledged the significant role of the two helicopters, gifted by New Delhi to Malé.

However, with Muizzu facing a political backlash back home, he will be compelled to “tone down” his vocal protests against India and seek to continue a friendly relationship. Apart from providing development assistance worth over $2 billion to Maldives, India is engaged in some of the big-ticket infrastructure projects there.

Muizzu also met Reliance Group Chairman Mukesh Ambani in Dubai on the sidelines of the COP28 meet.

Muizzu-Yameen Rift Creating Political Instability in Maldives

Before the Presidential elections were to take place, Yameen, who was barred from taking part in the polls, had floated the People’s National Congress (PNC) and combined it with his former party Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) that fielded Muizzu has the Presidential candidate.

Yameen was barred from contesting as he was serving an 11-year jail term on charges of corruption and money laundering.

But now a political rift is fast emerging between Yameen and Muizzu, reportedly over some of decisions being taken by the latter who has appointed some of his close confidants in the cabinet giving them coveted portfolios.

Yameen, who continues to remain under house arrest, has now floated his own party – People’s National Front (PNF) – with his son Zain Abdulla Yameen being one of the founding members. He has now formally quit PPM.

Muizzu needs to win a majority in the parliamentary elections slated for April 2024, where he has to prove majority for the PPM-PNC coalition.