Amid diplomatic row, Jaishankar holds talks with Maldives foreign minister on withdrawal of Indian troops from island

The duo met at the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer. (X/Jaishankar)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer on Thursday and held a “frank conversation” on India-Maldives ties which had turned strained following Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s call for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country by March 15.

“Met Maldives FM @MoosaZameer today in Kampala. A frank conversation on 🇮🇳-🇲🇻 ties. Also discussed NAM [Non-Aligned Movement]-related issues,” Jaishankar said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), sharing a photo with Zameer.

Met Maldives FM @MoosaZameer today in Kampala.

A frank conversation on 🇮🇳-🇲🇻 ties. Also discussed NAM related issues. pic.twitter.com/P7ResFlCaK

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 18, 2024

The duo met at the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala.

Zameer, in a post on X, said that India and Maldives are committed to “further strengthening and expanding our cooperation.”

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“We exchanged views on the ongoing high-level discussions on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel, as well as expediting the completion of ongoing development projects in the #Maldives, and cooperation within SAARC and NAM,” he wrote on his X handle.

The relations between India and its Indian Ocean neighbour had turned frosty earlier this month after three deputy ministers in the Maldivian government posted derogatory comments on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over photographs of his trip to Lakshadweep. The ministers were suspended by the Muizzu government, which distanced itself from the comments made by the ministers.

However, the remarks had sparked a huge controversy, especially on social media, and the Maldivian ministers’ remarks were widely condemned by Indian politicians and the public. India had also summoned the Maldivian envoy in New Delhi and made the government’s displeasure over the issue clear to Male.

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