NEW DELHI: In what seems like a change of heart, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has told a local daily in the archipelago that India will remain a close ally. President Muizzu is learned to have said that India was instrumental in providing aid to the Maldives and had implemented the maximum projects. He is reported to have said this in Mihaaru daily.
The Maldives owed approximately $400.9 million to India at the end of last year. During the interview, President Muizzu urged India to accommodate debt relief measures for the Maldives in the repayment of “the hefty loans taken over consecutive governments”.
“The conditions we have inherited are such that there are very large loans taken from India. Hence, we are holding discussions to explore leniencies in the repayment structure. Instead of halting any ongoing projects... to proceed with them at speed, so I see no reason for any adverse effects (on Maldives-India relations),” President Muizzu added.
This is the first time since the President took oath in November last year that he has spoken positively about India. He has mostly been in the news for reiterating that 88 Indian troops (associated with two helicopters and one Dornier aircraft) be sent back.
Three core-level meetings have been held between India and Maldives, and in the second meeting, it was decided to replace the military personnel with civilian staff, and the first batch has been replaced. However, the President later went on to state that he wouldn’t let even civilians stay.