After his anti-India rhetoric, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has struck a reconciliatory tone, saying India will continue to remain his country바카라s 바카라closest ally바카라 and urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the archipelago nation.
Ever since he took oath as the president in November last year, the pro-China Maldivian leader has pursued a hardline stand towards India and within hours had demanded that Indian military personnel operating three aviation platforms be repatriated from his country by May 10.
After his anti-India rhetoric, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has struck a reconciliatory tone, saying India will continue to remain his country바카라s 바카라closest ally바카라 and urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the archipelago nation.
The Maldives owed approximately USD 400.9 million to India by the end of last year.
Ever since he took oath as the president in November last year, the pro-China Maldivian leader has pursued a hardline stand towards India and within hours had demanded that Indian military personnel operating three aviation platforms be repatriated from his country by May 10.
On Thursday, in his first interview with the local media since assuming office, Muizzu said India was instrumental in providing aid to the Maldives and has implemented the 바카라greatest number바카라 of projects.
India will continue to remain the Maldives바카라 closest ally, he said and emphasised that there was no question about it, Maldives news portal Edition.mv said in a report that carried excerpts of Muizzu바카라s interview to its Dhivehi language sister-publication 바카라Mihaaru.바카라
Muizzu바카라s comments praising India came after the first batch of Indian military personnel left the island nation this month as planned. By May 10, Muizzu had demanded that all 88 military personnel, manning the three Indian aviation platforms, should leave the country.
India has been providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of the Maldives for the last few years using two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft.
The Maldives' proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland's western coast, and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) gives it significant strategic importance.
During the interview, Muizzu urged India to accommodate debt relief measures for the Maldives in the repayment of 바카라the hefty loans taken over consecutive governments.바카라
바카라The 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 of these loans.
바카라Instead of halting any ongoing projects ... to proceed with them at speed, so I see no reason for any adverse effects (on Maldives-India relations),바카라 Muizzu added.
Muizzu바카라s conciliatory comments towards India came ahead of Parliament elections in Maldives slated in mid-April.
He said Maldives has taken significant loans from India, which are heftier than can be borne by the Maldivian economy. 바카라Due to this, he is currently discussing with the Indian government to explore options to repay the loans to the best of the Maldives바카라 economic capabilities,바카라 the news portal said quoting him.
Muizzu, who expressed hope that India would 바카라facilitate debt relief measures in the repayment of these loans,바카라 also said that he has conveyed his appreciation to the Indian government for their contributions.
During the previous regime, headed by pro-India leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih바카라s administration, the total amount of loans taken from the Export and Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) stood at USD 1.4 million (MVR 22 million).
바카라Together with this, the amount owed by Maldives to India by the end of last year stood at MVR 6.2 billion, he said.
At the current rate of 1 MVR equal to USD 16, this is approximately USD 400.9 million.
바카라I also conveyed to Prime Minister Modi during our meeting that I did not intend to halt any ongoing projects. Instead, I expressed my desire to strengthen and expedite them바카라 he said, referring to his discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dubai on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December 2023.
바카라I suggested a high-level committee be established, one designed for quick decision-making even in the bridge project to ensure speedy work. The same for the Hanimaadhoo Airport,바카라 he added.
Answering a question about Indian military personnel, Muizzu termed it as 바카라the only matter of contention바카라 that arose with India about the presence of Indian military in the Maldives and added that India, too, had accepted the fact and agreed to withdraw the military personnel.
바카라It is not nice to dismiss or disregard aid from one country to another as useless,바카라 he said and claimed that he had not taken any action or made any statements that may strain the relationship between the two countries.
바카라Even if they are troops of some other country, we will deal with them in the same manner. I have said so very clearly. It is nothing personal but rather a matter of our national security,바카라 he added.
Muizzu stated that his government acted to find the swiftest and most prudent solution through deliberations to deal with the issue of the Indian military in the Maldives.
He defended his agreement with India to deploy civilians instead of military personnel to run the helicopters and the Dornier aircraft saying that the erstwhile Abdulla Yameen administration which demanded the Indian troops to be sent out has not succeeded as Indian personnel remained in the Maldives.
While the same goals were being worked for in both instances, Muizzu indicated that results can be achieved through discussions and deliberations. 바카라Everything can be achieved through discussions and deliberations. That바카라s what I believe,바카라 he said.
Meanwhile, amid his tenuous ties with India, Muizzu had pursued an obvious pro-China policy starting with his January visit to Beijing. During his China visit, he signed a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership besides signing 20 agreements to assist Maldives infrastructure after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China also announced a USD 130 million grant besides promising to send more Chinese tourists to the tourism-dependent Maldives.
After his return from China, Muizzu, without naming any country, said Maldives may be a small country, but 바카라that is not a license for anybody to bully us.바카라
Muizzu also terminated a hydrography agreement with India and has been claiming that the Indian Ocean does not belong to any particular country.