Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu expresses gratitude to India for debt relief and anticipates free trade deal.

Muizzu addressed the official Independence Day function in the Maldives on Friday. He emphasized the need to alleviate local shortages of US dollars and mentioned that the Maldives government is negotiating currency swap agreements with New Delhi and Beijing. Additionally, he announced that his administration is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom and expressed hopes for a similar agreement with India.

The Mohamed Muizzu government in the Maldives adopted a reconciliatory tone after ties between the two nations soured, leading to a diplomatic row. Muizzu attended the oath ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought debt relief measures for the hefty loans taken from consecutive governments. Muizzu mentioned that India will continue to remain the Maldives’ “closest ally” and emphasized the significance of this relationship.

However, his government took unconventional steps in India-Maldives ties, such as not visiting India on the first official visit, and instead visiting Turkey and China. The row between New Delhi and Male erupted after three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This led to a major diplomatic row, resulting in the suspension of the deputy ministers and a decrease in the number of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives.

The Maldives government’s decision last December not to renew the Hydrographic Survey agreement made with India, and the subsequent withdrawal of Indian troops, further strained the relationship. However, the Maldives Defense Minister acknowledged the country’s capability to operate aircraft donated by India. The text concludes with a note that the story has not been edited by NDTV staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.