Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu will travel to India on an official visit "very soon", his spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Maldives Says Muizzu To Visit India 'Very Soon' After 2 Ministers Who Defamed Modi Resign
India's relationship with the Maldives came under strain since Mohammed Muizzu took charge as the President.
Maldives also informed that two of the three suspended ministers who made derogatory comments against Indian PM Narendra Modi in January, Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef have resigned on Tuesday.
President Muizzu To Visit India 'Very Soon'
Heena Waleed, the chief spokesperson at the President's Office said that the exact date for Muizzu's India trip is yet to be finalised as the two sides are discussing a date, which is of convenience to the leaders of both countries.
Accoridng to the Sun Online news portal, Waleed said, "The President is scheduled to visit India very soon. 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."
India-Maldives Strained Ties In Past
India's relationship with the Maldives came under strain since Muizzu took charge as the President.
Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives. After talks between the two sides, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.
Things escalated after three Maldivian deputy ministers made controversial remarks regarding India and Prime Minister Modi on social media.
Maldives Foreign Ministry distanced itself from their remarks, saying they do not represent the views of the Male government.
The three junior ministers were suspended, and two of them resigned on Tuesday.
The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Muizzu, the pro-China Maldivian leader, visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony, marking a shift from tradition.
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Unlike the previous Maldivian leaders who first visited New Delhi, Muizzu's initial trips were to Turkiye and China.
At Modi's event, he expressed delight and described the visit as a "success" for the Maldives, emphasizing that strengthened ties with India would benefit the region.
Following Muizzu's visit, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a high-level visit to the Maldives in August, marking the first such trip from New Delhi since Muizzu took office in November.
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