Kampala:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer here on Thursday and the two leaders had a “frank discussion” on ties between the two countries.
The meeting between S Jaishankar and Mossa Zameer in the Ugandan capital Kampala came amid turmoil in the Maldives' bilateral ties with India.
Mr Jaishankar is in Kampala to represent India at the two-day summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) starting on Friday.
“Met Maldives FM @MoosaZameer in Kampala today. A candid conversation on India-Maldives ties. NAM related issues also discussed,” Jaishankar posted on X and shared a photo of the meeting.
Meet Maldives FM @MoosaZameer today in Kampala.
A candid conversation about 🇮🇳-🇲🇻 tires. NAM-related matters were also discussed. pic.twitter.com/P7ResFlCaK
—Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 18, 2024
In a post on
“We exchanged views on the ongoing high-level discussions on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel, as well as on expediting the completion of ongoing development projects in the Maldives, and on cooperation within SAARC and NAM,” he wrote.
“We are committed to further strengthening and expanding our cooperation,” the Maldivian minister wrote. He also posted a photo of the meeting.
Ties between India and the Maldives came under some strain when Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, insisted after taking over as president in November that he would keep his election promise and would expel Indian soldiers from his country.
Earlier this month, a row broke out on social media when a minister and some other leaders in the Maldives made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach in Lakshadweep.
Mr Muizzu suspended the three ministers following their social media posts, which sparked concern in India and calls for a boycott by Indian tourists who ranked highest in numbers, followed by Russia. Chinese tourists came in third place.
The Maldives is one of India's most important maritime neighbors in the Indian Ocean region and overall bilateral ties, including in defense and security, were on an upward trajectory under the previous administration in Male.
In May last year, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Maldives where he handed over a fast patrol craft and a landing craft to the island.
In August, Prime Minister Modi and then Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih launched the Indian-funded Greater Male connectivity project, billed as the largest infrastructure initiative in the island nation.
Under the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), a 6.74 km bridge and elevated road link will be constructed to connect the capital Male with the neighboring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.
The Maldives is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's Neighborhood First policy.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)