Maldives president Muizzu to travel to India 'very soon'

NEW DELHI: Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu is set to visit India "very soon," his spokesperson, Heena Waleed said on Tuesday.

The exact date of the visit is still being finalised, with discussions ongoing to find a mutually convenient time for both countries' leaders.

Waleed announced Muizzu's upcoming visit on the same day that two junior ministers, who were suspended in January for making derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, resigned from their positions. The Sun Online news portal reported the developments.

"The President is scheduled to visit India very soon," Waleed said. "As you are aware, such trips are scheduled for a time of maximum convenience to leaders of the two countries. Discussions regarding this are in progress."

Muizzu, who is known to favor closer ties with China, visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Unlike his predecessors, he first travelled to Turkiye and China for state visits after taking office. He expressed his delight at attending PM Modi's event and described his visit as a "success" for the Maldives and the region.

Relations between India and the Maldives have been strained since Muizzu became president. Soon after taking office, he called for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel managing three aviation platforms donated by India. Indian civilians were eventually deployed to replace the military personnel.

The relationship further deteriorated when three Maldivian deputy ministers made controversial remarks about India and Prime Minister Modi on social media. The Maldives' foreign ministry distanced itself from these comments.

Two of the three suspended junior ministers, Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef, resigned on Tuesday.

India considers the Maldives a key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean region.

The bilateral relationship, especially in defense and security, improved significantly under former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.