Key focus will be to promote mutual respect between India, Maldives: Minister Zameer

Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer, who is currently on his first official trip to India, has said that the highest priority during this trip is being given to instill mutual respect and build stronger bilateral relations between the two countries.

Zameer travelled to New Delhi last night on his first official trip to India after the administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu came into office on November 17, 2023.

"...that is, to ensure respect for members of the public, political leaders and business persons of both countries, and to build relations that will be maintained at all levels in the future," the Minister said in response to questions posed by Mihaaru on what the objectives of the trip were.

"This is the first bilateral official trip I am making to a country as the Foreign Minister. This will bring a positive energy to the relation between the two countries, and there is immense hope that this will pave the path to raise the connection to new levels," Zameer said.

With a journalist posing questions about the repatriation of Indian military personnel based in the country, Zameer responded that the Indian government is honouring the requests of Maldives' government and cooperating fully in withdrawing their troops.

"This is something that demonstrated the strength of the close ties the two countries have between each other. This proves that any such issues faced by these two countries can be solved through deliberations within a diplomatic process," the Minister said.

During this trip, Zameer is scheduled to meet with his counterpart, India's Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar and other senior officials of the ministry.

Zameer said that during the trip, discussions would be held on ensuring that development projects being undertaken in the Maldives through the aid of India are carried out swiftly through collaboration between the governments.

As a matter of high priority, Zameer will raise the issue of large loans taken from India during the previous administration led by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and discuss possible leniencies that India can provide in the repayment of these loans.

In an earlier interview with Mihaaru in March, President Muizzu also stated that his hope is that India will accommodate debt relief measures for the Maldives' in the repayment of the major loans taken from the country over consecutive governments.

At the time, the President stated that the Maldives has taken significant loans from India, which are heftier than can be borne by the Maldivian economy. Due to this, he said he was discussing with the Indian government to explore options to repay the loans to the best of the Maldives’ economic capabilities.

The loans taken from India's Export and Import Bank (EXIM Bank) during former President Solih's administration amounts to USD 1.4 billion (MVR 22 billion). Along with this, the total amount owed to the EXIM Bank by the Maldives' State by the end of last year total MVR 6.2 billion.

Minister Zameer is not scheduled to sign any agreements with India during this trip.