Maldivian Defence Minister's first official visit to India to begin on January 8, bilateral talks on cards

New Delhi: Maldivian Defence Minister Mohammed Ghassan Maumoon will start his first official visit to India on Wednesday during which he will be having extensive bilateral talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh besides travelling to Goa and Mumbai.

Coming close on the heels of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s first bilateral tour in October, the visit takes place amidst India’s concerns after the island nation ordered all Indian troops to leave – a move that has been widely speculated for the benefit of China.

“In a bilateral meeting, the ministers will review various facets of defence cooperation including training, regular exercises, defence projects, workshops and seminars to enhance the capability of the Maldives National Defence Forces as well as supply of defence equipment and stores,” a defence ministry official said in a statement.

“The Maldives occupies a special place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, which aims to bring stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region. Also, 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),” he said.

For decades, the archipelago remained one of India’s closest allies having a key role to counter Chinese overtures in the Indian Ocean Region.

The ties between India and the Maldives 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 ordered the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

However, there was a recent thaw in the relations as Muizzu vowed to boost the bilateral ties with India during his visit to Delhi in October.

Last week External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Khaleel in Delhi to explore ways to bolster bilateral ties in several key areas including maritime security, trade and investment.