Aishath Azeema is new Maldives envoy to India

On Monday, Muizzu sent a letter to the Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee seeking approval for Azeema’s appointment.

Ibrahim Shaheeb, the current ambassador to India, was appointed in October 2022. (X/@MDVAmbCHN)

A week after Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s first official bilateral visit to India after he was voted to power late last year following a campaign centred on an ‘India out’ policy, senior diplomat Aishath Azeema is set to replace Ibrahim Shaheeb as Maldives’ top envoy to India.

The decision to appoint a new ambassador to New Delhi comes as the island nation looks to strengthen and restore its relationship with India, which the news portal Sun.mv described as one of the Maldives’ “closest bilateral partners.”

Also read | Key takeaways from the India-Maldives vision document: health, education, start-ups, political exchanges

On Monday, Muizzu sent a letter to the Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee seeking approval for Azeema’s appointment. The Committee granted its approval on Tuesday, the PTI reported.

Azeema, who joined the foreign service in 1988, served as the Maldivian ambassador to China from June 2019 to September 2023. She has also held positions as deputy ambassador to the UK and has worked in various senior roles within the Foreign Ministry, including as an additional secretary and joint secretary.

Shaheeb, the current ambassador to India, was appointed in October 2022.

(With inputs from PTI)

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram