Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon will visit India from 7 to 8 January, Foreign Minister Khaleel confirmed in an interview with the Indian news outlet WION on Saturday. This will be the first official visit by the Maldives’ defence minister to New Delhi since President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in November 2023.
The high-level visit follows recent diplomatic engagements, including Foreign Minister Khaleel’s trip to India. In his interview with WION, Khaleel said the defence minister’s visit would enhance “understanding for both nations in the security area.” It comes after the replacement of Indian troops with civilian technical staff in May last year, as part of the Muizzu administration’s broader commitment to ensuring no foreign military presence on Maldivian soil. The Indian military personnel had been managing Indian assets in the country for humanitarian assistance under various cooperation agreements, some of which had been in place across several administrations. The military personnel were replaced by civilian staff to operate the aviation platforms after several rounds of discussions during the first half of last year.
Relations between the two countries took a further nosedive in January last year when three deputy ministers from the Muizzu administration insulted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. Though the individuals were suspended from their positions, their actions prompted calls for a boycott of the Maldives in India and led to a significant drop in tourism arrivals from the country.
The relations between India and the Maldives, once marked by close cooperation, have been shaped by political shifts over the years. During the era of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, India and the Maldives enjoyed a strong relationship, with India contributing significantly to the Maldives’ development. However, relations soured between 2013 and 2018 under President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who increasingly turned to China for development assistance.
The bilateral relationship improved again under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih from 2018 to 2023, as Solih distanced the Maldives from China and re-established India as a close ally in development and regional security. However, the Muizzu administration views India-Maldives relations during the Solih era as harmful to the national identity and sovereignty of the Maldives.