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Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has extended his congratulations to President-elect Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and assured him that the strong relations between Maldives and India will continue to prosper.
"India remains committed to strengthening the time-tested India-Maldives bilateral relationship and enhancing our overall cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region," PM Narendra Modi posted on X.
Congratulations and greetings to @MMuizzu on being elected as President of the Maldives.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 1, 2023
India remains committed to strengthening the time-tested India-Maldives bilateral relationship and enhancing our overall cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
Dr. Muizzu emerged victorious in Saturday's runoff election, defeating incumbent president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih with 54 percent of the votes.
The outgoing president and the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have been consistently criticized for their close ties with India, which some argue has jeopardized Maldivian national security. Dr. Muizzu and the Progressive Coalition (Progressive Party of Maldives and People's National Congress) are believed to be inclined towards fostering stronger relations with China.
Dr. Muizzu further said his first order of business would be to repatriate the Indian soldiers currently present in the Maldives.
Dr. Muizzu beat President Solih with over 129,000 votes while the outgoing president who was seeking re-election secured a little over 109,000 votes.
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