A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
NEW DELHI: Amidst growing speculation of a chill in relations between New Delhi and the Maldives, its minister of foreign affairs, Dr Mohamed Asim, arrived in New Delhi Wednesday as a Special Envoy of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. Accompanied by Foreign Secretary Ahmed Sareer and Joint secretary Aishath Azeema, Asim is expected to meet […]
The Modi government needs to make it clear to Malé that it shouldn’t play the China card in its dealings with New Delhi. The Maldivian regime under President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has changed gears and reached out to the Indian government to repair bilateral relations in the right earnest. The Gayoom government would be sending its foreign […]
1) Location, location location. The Maldives’s location on the Indian Ocean makes it a nation of concern to India especially as regional rival China is trying to expand its sphere of influence in the area. The Maldives is located near important sea routes in the Indian Ocean and close to the Gulf of Aden and […]
President Abdulla Yameen’s pro-India statements came after reports that there were doubts in New Delhi on Maldives’ decision to sign an FTA with China. New Delhi: While Maldives President Abdulla Yameen described India as the island country’s “closest friend and ally” and asked the media to refrain from criticising the South Asian giant, he also […]
NEW DELHI: Amid growing concerns here over an open display of hostility against India in the Maldives, Male seems to be finally reaching out to the Indian government. It is currently discussing a high-level bilateral visit from India which it hopes will help calm frayed nerves on both sides. Tension seemed to have peaked last […]
All grilled: Sushma Swaraj, M.J. Akbar and S. Jaishankar attended the meeting on December 21. NEW DELHI: Despite the recent Maldives-China Free Trade Agreement and moves by the Yameen government favouring Chinese investment, the Modi government says it remains firmly committed to its “Neighbours First” policy and has bolstered defence cooperation with Male in the […]
President Abdullah Yameen has attempted ease the tense ties between India and the Maldives, stating that India is the closest nation to the Maldives. This is the first time recently, where President Yameen had addressed the bilateral relations between the two nations. Speaking in the gathering in Velidhoo island in Noonu Atoll, President Yameen chose […]
Ambassador facing travel restrictions New Delhi appears to be weighing diplomatic options after Male reportedly placed restrictions on the movement of the Indian Ambassador to the Maldives. Asked to comment on reports that travel restrictions had been imposed on the Indian High Commissioner, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said, “I don’t think […]
Last week, Maldives rushed through the much-criticised Free Trade Agreement with China in the Parliament, a move which is being perceived in New Delhi as Male cosying up to Beijing. This is also Maldives’s first FTA with any country. Now that the agreement has been signed between China and Maldives, India on Thursday said it expected […]