Maldives, which was once a close partner of India but recently aligned more with China under President Muizzu, has made a U-Turn by shifting their foreign policy from “India Out” to “Welcome India”.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who is known for his pro-China stance that eventually led to a diplomatic row with India, has recently thanked India for enabling the resumption of medical evacuation services with civilian aviation personnel from India.
Days ago, the President also thanked India for debt relief as the island-nation is negotiating a free trade deal with India.
Meanwhile, the tourism minister of Maldives, Ibrahim Faisal, visited India to conduct a series of roadshows in the country this week to promote his country as a tourism destination.
The Maldivian government has named the tourism campaign as “Welcome India”.
This comes months after Indian celebrities and citizens promoted “Boycott Maldives” campaign to protest some Maldivian ministers’ disgraceful remarks on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was promoting Lakshadweep tropical archipelago, which is often considered by the Indian travellers as an alternative to the Maldives.
The “Boycott Maldives” campaign impacted the number of tourist arrivals from India to the tourism-dependent island nation.
However, things are changing now.
According to international relations experts, the Maldivian government is now changing its tune slowly but steadily.
A few months ago, the country’s newly elected President Muizzu had an anti-India stance, and now it looks like they want to shed that image and adopt a friendlier tone.
Last Friday, President Muizzu, while giving a speech to commemorate his country’s independence day, thanked India in an unexpected move.
The President expressed his “sincere gratitude” for India’s support to the Maldives in easing the island nation’s debt repayment, thereby enabling the country to ensure economic sovereignty.
He also affirmed hope that New Delhi and Male would forge stronger ties and sign a free trade agreement (FTA), adding that he is negotiating a currency swap agreement with India.
According to a report by Edition.mv, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) told local media that the provision of medical evacuation through the Dornier flight and helicopters has resumed, this time with the civilian crew sent from India.
Last year, Muizzu came to power on a very different plank as he led an “India Out” campaign in the country.
Maldives, which heavily depends on its larger neighbour India for essentials such as food, infrastructure, and technological advancements, committed multiple diplomatic blunders, throwing the country and its citizens into a major economic uncertainty.
The diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Male not only poses economic risks but also raises concerns about the intricate network of cultural, economic, and geopolitical connections that unite these two neighbouring nations in the expansive Indian Ocean, Times Now reported, quoting experts.
The Maldives found itself at a critical juncture as the diplomatic rift unfolds, navigating potential economic repercussions and evaluating the depth of its cultural, economic, and geopolitical ties with India.
Muizzu, after coming to power, asked India to withdraw its troops from Maldives, declaring that no Indian military personnel, including those in civilian attire, will be permitted in his country after May 10, 2024, as he thinks presence of Indian Army in Maldives was a “threat” to the sovereignty of the island nation.
New Delhi, however, has repatriated all the Indian military personnel, stationed in the Maldives to operate two platforms for helicopters and a Dornier aircraft used primarily for medical evacuations, before the May 10 deadline.
This decision of the Maldivian government put their own citizens’ life at risk as the medical evacuation was in front of a big uncertainty.
However, the Maldives has resumed using the Dornier aircraft and two helicopters gifted by India for medical evacuations after the two countries reached an understanding over the repatriation of Indian military personnel operating the three aviation platforms in the archipelagic nation, India TV reported last Saturday.
The resumption of the Dornier aircraft operations came after the government faced criticism for not using the Dornier or the helicopters for medical emergencies, as per local media reports.
According to a report by Edition.mv, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) told local media that the provision of medical evacuation through the Dornier flight and helicopters has resumed, this time with the civilian crew sent from India.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the MNDF, the two medical emergencies were carried out on Friday night.
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