New Delhi: Mohamed Nasheed, the primary democratically-elected President of Maldives, has expressed his outrage over the “appalling” social media posts by a minister within the archipelago’s authorities on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current go to to Lakshadweep islands, India’s smallest Union Territory. PM Modi’s go to to the Union Territory consisting of 36 islands with an space of 32 sqkm was geared toward boosting tourism on the island.
However, the Maldivian minister Mariyam Shiuna used abusive language towards PM Modi in her tweet. Another minister of the island nation accused India of concentrating on the archipelago and stated India struggles to compete with the Maldives in seaside tourism.
What appalling language by Maldives Government official @shiuna_m in direction of the chief of a key ally, that’s instrumental for Maldives’ safety and prosperity. @MMuizzu gov should distance itself from these feedback and provides clear assurance to India they don’t mirror gov coverage.
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) January 7, 2024
Mr Nasheed, who was elected President in 2008 however resigned in 2012 after what he claimed was a coup orchestrated by his opponents, urged President Mohamed Muizzu to make clear to the world that the feedback by the ministers “do not reflect government policy”.
He stated in a publish on X, “What appalling language by Maldives government official Mariyam Shiuna towards the leader of a key ally, that is instrumental for Maldives’ security and prosperity. The Mohamed Muizzu government must distance itself from these comments and give clear assurance to India they do not reflect gov policy.”
The relations between India and Maldives have been tense prior to now few months, after President Mohamed Muizzu got here to energy. Mr Muizzu, who took over as President in November 2023, had promised in his election marketing campaign that he would take away a small group of some 75 Indian army personnel in his island nation and alter Maldives’s “India first” coverage.
He is seen as a pro-China politician, who defeated his India-friendly predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih within the presidential run-off held in September.
Mr Muizzu is about to go to China on Monday, the Chinese overseas ministry introduced in a press release. Chinese President Xi Jinping invited him, China’s overseas ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stated on Friday.
“China and the Maldives boast time-honoured friendship. In the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have treated each other with respect and supported each other, setting a fine example of equality and mutual benefits between countries of different sizes,” stated Wang Wenbin, one other spokesperson of the Chinese overseas ministry, based on information company PTI.
Mr Muizzu’s predecessors within the current previous visited India first, contemplating the wide-ranging bilateral ties and the Maldives’ proximity to India, adopted by China which has expanded its affect within the island nation by investing in main infrastructure initiatives there.
The new Maldives President had met PM Modi in Dubai on the sidelines of the COP28 local weather talks in December 2023. Both leaders had agreed to arrange a core group to debate the multidimensional relations and additional deepen ties.
The assembly additionally passed off after Mr Muizzu requested New Delhi to withdraw 77 Indian army personnel from the Maldives and determined to assessment greater than 100 bilateral agreements between the 2 international locations.
The new Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef final month visited China, his first go to overseas, and took half within the China-sponsored China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation in Kunming.
Interestingly, whereas praising Chinese infrastructure initiatives, Mr Latheef made no point out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) underneath which many of the Maldives’ infrastructure initiatives have been constructed.
