NEW DELHI: Misunderstandings with India have been resolved through the latter's withdrawal of troops from the Maldives , the Indian Ocean neighbour said as India prepares to host President Mohamed Muizzu for his first official visit this month. Ties between the two nations have seen dramatic improvement since India replaced its military personnel, who manned Indian govt's relief choppers and aircraft, with civilian staff, leading to resumption of high-level visits. Muizzu had insisted on Indian troop withdrawal saying he would not allow any country to interfere with or undermine the Maldives' sovereignty.
However, the thaw in ties with India has not come at the expense of the archipelago nation's reorientation towards China, as obvious from the agreement it signed last week to boost trade and investment ties with Beijing and also continued talks to strengthen defence cooperation between the two countries. Speaking about Maldives' ties with India and China, while on a visit to Sri Lanka, foreign minister Moosa Zameer admitted relations with India had faced challenges, following Muizzu's efforts to expel Indian military personnel. "At the start of our govt, we did have some rough patches (with India), you know," Zameer was quoted as saying by a Maldivian newspaper.
He added these "misunderstandings" had been resolved following the repatriation of Indian troops. Interestingly, the day Muizzu's office announced his visit to India, the Maldivian media also reported that two junior.
