India, Maldives to hold high-level defence talks on Wednesday

New Delhi: Maldivian Defence Minister Mohammed Ghassan Maumoon will pay a three-day visit to India from Wednesday to deepen bilateral engagement amid a thaw in relations between the two countries.

Maumoon will hold wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh besides meeting several senior officials in the national capital.

The visit by the Maldivian minister comes over eight months after India withdrew its military personnel from the island nation following a demand by its pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with Maumoon in New Delhi on January 8, the defence ministry said.

It said the two ministers will review the various facets of bilateral defence cooperation, including training, exercises and defence projects to enhance the capability of the Maldives National Defence Forces as well as supply of defence equipment.

"The Maldives occupies a special place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, which aims to bring stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region," the ministry said.

"Both nations are key players in maintaining safety and security of IOR, thus contributing to India's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)," it added.

Maumoon will also visit Goa and Mumbai.

The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties including in areas of defence and security witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government in Male.

The ties, however, came under severe strain after Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November 2023. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

There was a thaw in relations as Muizzu vowed to boost bilateral ties with India during his visit to Delhi in October.