New Delhi: Amid a diplomatic row between India and Maldives, the Male President's office has proposed a visit by Maldivian President Muizzu to India later this month after his China trip concludes.
The Ministry of External Affairs is yet to comment on the development. Muizzu is currently on a visit to China following an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. His visit to China comes at a time when the island nation is locked in a diplomatic spat with India- one of the closest traditional allies.
Maldivian President Muizzu took over as President in November 2023. In his election campaign, he said he would remove a small contingent of some 75 Indian military personnel in his island nation and change Maldives's "India first" policy.
The diplomatic tussle between the two countries took an ugly turn after a few Maldivian politicians made derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his recent visit to Lakshadweep. PM Modi's visit was viewed as an attempt to boost tourism in the archipelago at the cost of Maldives.
It is important to note here that Muizzu's predecessors in the recent past visited India first, considering the wide-ranging bilateral ties and the Maldives' closeness to India, followed by China which has expanded its influence in the island nation by investing in major infrastructure projects there.
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