Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu as welcomed by P🃏rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as he markꦐs the second day of his state visit to India.
President Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed were received by PM Modi and President Droupadi Murmu a🏅t Hyderabad House as India and Maldives work towards resetting their rel♋ations after a series of diplomatic ups and downs.
Ahead of his meeting with PM Modi, Mu𓆉izzu revealed in an interview with the Times of India that Maldives will be wo𓄧rking towards encouraging more tourists from India.
This statement comes after a major dip in Indian tourists was reported following the social media row over PM ꦜModi's visit to Lakshadweep in🍎 January this year.
Speaking to TOI, the Maldivian president stated that the archipelago will approach a "Maldives First" policy from now on. However, Muizzu added that Male will continue to work𓆉 towards building a relationship based on mutual respect and shared interests, especially with India.
"We are confident that our engagements with other nations ❀will not undermine India’s security interests," the president further told✤ TOI.
Since his election in 2023, Muizzu has been seen as a "pro-China" leader, especially afte𓆉r his "I𒆙ndia Out" stance during the presidential campaign. However, despite this stance, Muizzu has acknowledged India as a key partner for the Maldives and aims to restore and strengthen the ties between the two countries.
Following the row over Modi's Laksha🥀dweep ꦛvisit, Muizzu made his first-ever presidential visit to China, which was seen as a diplomatic snub to New Delhi.
Maldives remains a strategic partner for both India and China when it comes꧂ to marit🍬ime relations in the Indian Ocean.
Despite Muizzu's close ties with Beijing, the president has stated that "Maldives would never do anything to undermine the security of India. While we enhance cooperation with other count✅ries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring our actions do not compromise the security and stability of our region".
