The Muizzu administration has remained silent on recent decisions by Canada and Portugal to recognise Palestinian statehood, even as other Muslim-majority nations issued statements welcoming the moves.
The lack of response marks a continuation of the Muizzu government’s subdued stance on the issue. While the Maldives previously released formal statements supporting similar recognitions, it has refrained from doing so in recent weeks.
Saudi Arabia and several other Islamic countries have publicly welcomed the announcements from Canada and Portugal, as well as earlier declarations by France and the United Kingdom to recognise Palestine. The Maldives, however, has not followed suit.
Portugal is preparing to recognise a Palestinian state as early as September, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told Portuguese media on Thursday. Canada has also joined several Western countries in announcing its intention to recognise a Palestinian state amid the continuing Israeli atrocities in Gaza. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement on Wednesday.
Several high-level sources told Maldives Republic the muted approach reflects growing United States influence on the country’s foreign policy. The sources did not provide further details.
The development follows the government’s limited response to France’s 26 July announcement that it would officially recognise Palestine in September. At the time, the Foreign Ministry issued only a brief post on X, formerly known as Twitter, rather than releasing a formal statement or publishing it on its website, as done in the past.
The Maldives has also not commented on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement that the United Kingdom would recognise Palestine by September if Israel does not take “substantive steps” to end the war in Gaza and commit to a lasting peace process.
Observers have linked the apparent recalibration of the Maldives’ foreign policy to the recent denial of a US visa for Islamic Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, who was scheduled to attend a United Nations conference on the two-state solution in New York. Critics have suggested the government may have used the visa denial as a pretext to avoid attending the event and facing pressure over its shifting position. The government has not commented on or taken any action regarding the reported visa denial.
The Maldives has historically aligned itself strongly with the Palestinian cause, issuing robust statements of support and condemnation of Israeli actions. The Muizzu government’s silence on recent developments has raised questions over whether that position is shifting.