NEW DELHI: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was given a red carpet welcome on his first state visit to India Monday (Oct 7), a trip aimed at repairing frail ties between the South Asian neighbours. Pro-China Muizzu came to power a year ago on a promise to evict dozens of Indian troops deployed in his small but strategically located archipelago. Most South Asian leaders are invited to New Delhi soon after they assume office, but it has taken almost a year for India to accord Muizzu a state visit.
Muizzu, 46, was greeted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu with an honour guard including cavalry and a marching band at the presidential palace. India met Muizzu's May deadline to withdraw a contingent of 78 soldiers stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and a fixed-wing plane. However, the aircraft remained and are being operated by a civilian Indian crew.
"What I did is what the people of Maldives asked from me," Muizzu said, in an interview in the Times of India published on Monday. "Maldives would never do anything that undermines the security of India", he told the newspaper. "While we enhance our cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring that our actions do not compromise the security and stability of our region.
" "LINE OF CREDIT" China and India are the two largest bilateral lenders to the Maldives, and the cash-strapped archipelago last month insisted it has no plans to seek an Interna.
