Maldives President Muizzu seeks debt relief from India, calls it 'closest ally'
Toeing a reconciliatory tone after a diplomatic row with India, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has requested New Delhi for debt relief measures, while stating that India will continue to remain Maldives’ “closest ally,” local media reported.
FollowFollowing his anti-India rhetoric, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has taken a conciliatory tone, stating that India will remain his country's "closest ally" and urging New Delhi to grant debt relief to the island nation. The Maldives owed approximately USD 400.9 million to India by the end of last year.
Since taking office as president in November of last year, the pro-China Maldivian leader has taken a harsh stance against India, demanding that Indian military troops manning three aircraft platforms be returned by May 10.
In his first interview with the local media on Thursday since taking office, Muizzu stated that India has carried out the "greatest number" of projects and played a significant role in aiding the Maldives.
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India will continue to remain the Maldives’ 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 Muizzu’s interview to its Dhivehi language sister-publication ‘Mihaaru.’
In the interview, Muizzu urged India to accommodate debt relief measures for the Maldives in the repayment of “the hefty loans taken over consecutive governments.”
"The conditions we've inherited have resulted in extremely significant loans from India. As a result, we are having conversations to investigate leniencies in the repayment structure of these loans. Instead of halting any ongoing projects … to proceed with them at speed, so I see no reason for any adverse effects (on Maldives-India relations)," he said.
Muizzu's praise for India came after the first wave of Indian military personnel left the island country this month, as anticipated. By May 10, Muizzu had asked that all 88 military personnel stationed at the three Indian aircraft platforms leave the country.
India has been providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the Maldives' people for several years, employing two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft.The Maldives' closeness to India, just 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland's western coast, as well as its placement in the center of commercial sea lanes running across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), make it strategically important.
