MALE: India’s foreign minister called for stronger ties with the Maldives on Saturday, on his first trip to the archipelago nation since its pro-China president expelled Indian troops.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said he was “committed to deepen India-Maldives ties”, after meeting President Mohamed Muizzu in Male on Saturday.

Jaishankar earlier said he was in the Maldives to “take stock of our defence and security engagement”, months after Muizzu’s administration signed a military assistance pact with Beijing.

Known as a luxury holiday destination with pristine white sand beaches and secluded resorts, the atoll nation has also become a geopolitical hotspot. India is suspicious of China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean, and Male’s military deal with Beijing came as Muizzu ordered a garrison of Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives to assist with maritime patrols to leave.

Global east-west shipping lanes pass the nation’s chain of 1,192 tiny coral islands, stretching around 800 kilometres across the equator. India’s government has traditionally considered the Maldives, home to around half a million people, within its sphere of influence.

“For India, neighbourhood is a priority and, in the neighbourhood, Maldives is a priority,” Jaishankar said in a speech.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2024