The government today issued an indirect response to former President Mohamed Nasheed, requesting that individuals refrain from speaking in a manner that contradicts the Maldives' foreign policy or weakens relationships with other nations.

While participating in the 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, last week, Nasheed spoke with Indian media regarding foreign relations.

In addition to sharing his views on the debt taken from India, he also spoke regarding Mauritius, which has suspended ties with the Maldives due to the dispute over the sovereign ownership of Chagos.

In a statement released tonight, the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the government’s "Maldives First" foreign policy is built upon protecting the interests of the Maldives in accordance with the standards of international relations.

The statement noted that remarks made by individuals who have held high-ranking state positions, which contradict those standards and weaken foreign relations, are matters that will have negative consequences.

Therefore, the Ministry highlighted that such individuals must pay special attention when speaking about relations with other countries.

During his trip to India, Nasheed stated that he had met with the Foreign Minister of Mauritius, Ritish Ramful, and requested that peaceful ways be found through dialogue between the two countries, noting that the Minister revealed the country is ready to enter into discussions with the Maldives.

"Under no circumstances is it a good thing to lack such diplomatic relations with neighboring countries. So, they are ready. I hope that the Maldives’ Foreign Ministry will also use this opportunity to move forward with the Mauritian government," Nasheed said.