A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
The original Dhivehi article was published on Rumaalu2.com website on 19th December 2017. The following is a loose translation: Although the Maldives got its independence in 1965, it was Indian influence that blocked the Maldives from enjoying full freedom. The assistance Indians extended in 1988 is something most Maldivians recognize and appreciate. However, most Maldivians […]
India is the Maldives closest ally and friend, President Abdulla Yameen said Sunday, appealing for restraint towards its regional neighbour. The president, who is island hopping around the north inaugurating projects, made the remarks days after a hostile editorial was removed from a pro-government website. The Vaguthu article had blasted India, saying it was not […]
India has scotched rumours of a rift with the Maldives, saying the two countries enjoyed a close relationship with shared development and security interests. External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar made the remarks Thursday after a scathing anti-India editorial appeared on a Maldivian pro-government website. The main opposition MDP, which condemned the editorial, described Vaguthu as […]
An editorial attacking India and branding its prime minister a “Hindu extremist” has been pulled from a pro-government website. The Vaguthu article blasted India, saying it was not a best friend but an enemy and that it viewed the Maldives with “envy, self-interest and hostility.” It provoked condemnation from two former presidents, Mohamed Nasheed and […]
The joint-opposition coalition has condemned a pro-government news website for attacking India’s prime minister and promoting anti-India sentiments. The editorial, published in Vaguthu, was titled “India is not a best friend, but an enemy!” and said the way India treated the Maldives had changed despite the “heart-to-heart” relationship the two countries had traditionally enjoyed. India […]
Three councillors have been suspended for meeting India’s ambassador to the Maldives, days after authorities banned local officials from hosting foreign diplomats without prior consent. The decision to punish the Gaafu Alifu representatives was made at a board meeting of the Local Government Authority on Wednesday. The Maldives Independent has seen a copy of the […]
Our current president is ensuring that the foreign relations between Maldives and China remain tight. According to our National Bureau of Statistics, in 2016 more than 1.2m tourists arrived in the Maldives. Among them, 575,176 tourists were from Europe. Furthermore, 572,336 of the tourists were from Asia and among them, China contributed 324,326 tourists to […]
New Delhi’s outdated strategic mentality cannot “dampen the strong enthusiasm” in the region for deepening cooperation with Beijing, Chinese state media has claimed. The Global Times, an excitable tabloid that often reflects party thinking, said the formal handover of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port to China on a 99-year lease had stirred alarm in New Delhi. […]
President Abdulla Yameen is to make his first state visit to China, days after rushing through a massive trade deal with the world’s second biggest economy. A brief notice issued Monday said the trip, which takes place from December 6 until December 9, was at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. “High-level discussions with top […]