Amid strained ties, Maldives President Muizzu accepts invite to attend Modi’s swearing-in tomorrow

First distinguished guest sets foot in New Delhi for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh warmly received by Secy (CPV & OIA) @mukteshpardeshi as she arrived in New Delhi.

This visit of one of our most valued… pic.twitter.com/08BhlCzeDd

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 8, 2024

There were setbacks in ties between India and Maldives, as soon after coming to power in November 2023, Muizzu, who is seen as pro-China, had asked India to withdraw its military personnel from the island country.

He had defeated the incumbent, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in the presidential election on the “India Out” plank.

President Muizzu is set to follow the footsteps of his mentor and one of his predecessors, Abdullah Yameen, who had attended Modi’s first oath-taking ceremony in May 2014.

On June 4th, Muizzu extended his congratulations to Modi for securing victory in the 2024 Indian General Election, marking the third consecutive term for him and the BJP-led NDA.

“Congratulations to Prime Minister and the BJP and BJP-led NDA, on the success in the 2024 Indian General Election, for the third consecutive term. I look forward to working together to advance our shared interests in pursuit of shared prosperity and stability for our two countries,” he wrote in a post on X.

Why did relations between India and Maldives get strained?

A day after he was sworn in as President of Maldives on November 18 last year Muizzu formally urged the Indian government to withdraw its military personnel from the island nation during a meeting with Kiren Rijiju, India’s representative at the ceremony.

Just a month after this request, the Muizzu administration decided against renewing the previous government’s agreement with India concerning a hydrographic survey of Maldives’ waters.

This agreement, initially inked on June 8, 2019, during Modi’s visit to the Maldives at the invitation of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, permitted India to conduct a hydrographic survey to study and chart various aspects of the Maldivian territorial waters, including reefs, lagoons, coastlines, ocean currents, and tide levels.

Why Maldives is important to India?

Maldives is strategically important to India due to its proximity to India’s west coast, being just 70 nautical miles from Minicoy and 300 from the mainland, and its position in key commercial sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean.

India’s maritime security relies significantly on the stability and strength of Maldives’ maritime presence, given its location at the heart of vital sea routes.

China has increasingly invested in Maldives over the last 15 years, leveraging initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative. This has raised concerns in India about China’s growing influence.

While Maldives established its embassy in China in 2009, China reciprocated in 2011, deepening their diplomatic ties.

During Abdulla Yameen’s presidency from 2013 to 2018, the engagement with China escalated notably. This trend has continued under Muizzu, who served as a minister under Yameen.

India’s alliance with Maldives is crucial for safeguarding its maritime interests, monitoring the Indian Ocean, and countering China’s expanding presence in the region.