When the United States tried to seal a defense deal seven years ago with the Maldives, a sprawling and strategic archipelago, its plans were quietly torpedoed by a friend -- India, which considers the Indian Ocean its sphere of influence.
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(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 25, 2020 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, DC. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
2020-10-25 16:31:15
When the United States tried to seal a defense deal seven years ago with the Maldives, a sprawling and strategic archipelago, its plans were quietly torpedoed by a friend -- India, which considers the Indian Ocean its sphere of influence.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit the Maldives this week after top-level talks in India -- which offered open support when the Pentagon finally went ahead with a defense pact with the island nation in September.
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