New Delhi: In what can be seen as a significant shift in Male's approach towards India, is the establishment of an Indian consulate in Bengaluru, India, and Addu city, Maldives.
The development comes after a stretch of strained ties between India and Male. It is worth noting here that the Indian cabinet in May 2021, approved the opening of a new consulate in Addu, which was seen as a reflection of the importance India attaches to its ties with the strategically located island nation. India's decision to expand its diplomatic presence in the Maldives was taken amid China's consistent efforts to increase its influence in the island nation.
However, Maldives had then opposed the decision to open a consulate in Addu Atoll given concerns over national sovereignty and a perception that India was exerting too much influence in the region.
Some Maldivian political factions viewed the presence of an Indian consulate as a potential encroachment on the country's autonomy and expressed fears about the implications for their foreign policy and local governance. The island nation sees a new consulate with suspicion, especially on the heels of a USD 33-million Maldivian police training facility that India is helping build in Addu.
Now with the visit of the Maldivian President Muizzu to India and the decision of opening a consulate in Addu, will help broadening people to people ties and reset the ties between the two.
Following the meeting between PM Modi and Maldivian President Muizzu on Monday in New Delhi, both sides adopted a vision document for comprehensive, economic and maritime partnership. The document read, " People-to-people linkages between India and Maldives have remained the bedrock of the special and unique ties between the two countries. In line with that, the two sides agreed to work positively towards establishing a consulate of Maldives in Bengaluru and a consulate of India in Addu city recognizing that these would contribute to expansion of trade and economic cooperation and greater people-to-people contacts."
President Muizzu is on a visit to India from 6-10 October. This will be the first bilateral visit of Muizzu to New Delhi. He had earlier visited India in June 2024 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and the Council of Ministers.
Why is Addu city strategically important?