Maldives President to visit India in December

Smita Sharma 
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 26

A month since taking oath as President of Maldives with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the highest ranking foreign leader in attendance, President Ibrahim Solih will undertake his first overseas visit to India. 

Solih will pay State Visit to India on December 17 signalling further reset of ties since surprise ouster of authoritarian pro-China President Yameen in elections this year. 

The two sides announced the date during ongoing first visit of Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid who today held discussions with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 

Shahid is accompanied by Finance and Economic Development Ministers. "The ministers discussed security and defence matters, including ongoing projects and new areas of cooperation. In this regard, they agreed to hold the next meeting of the Defence Cooperation Dialogue between both countries in the first half of December 2018," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement. 

At a press interaction later at the Foreign Correspondents' Club, Shahid said his government is reviewing Chinese infrastructure projects undertaken by the Yameen regime to investigate cost inflations and corruption. The FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with China that was bulldozed overnight in absence of opposition in parliament will also be reviewed by the new Attorney General. 

The FTA  triggered souring of ties between Male and Delhi over the past two years. "As foreign minister I have asked my officials to review the document (FTA) which I did not have opportunity to review as Member of Parliament,"said Shahid. "We are in the process of assessing as a country how much we owe to China and other countries," he added. 

The minister, however, clarified that it would continue its engagement with Beijing and the region on Belt and Road Initiative as it is open for business.

"During past five years we have found that Yameen could play India against China and China against India. That he could be in Maldives and be puppet master .He failed.We are coming into office knowing very well that we don't have to be puppet masters," said the minister.  

India has assured Maldives of support in its development priorities and in ensuring fiscal and budgetary stability. Maldives has requested for a Dornier aircraft for surveillance purpose as a gift instead of on loan which India has agreed to, even while two controversial Advanced Light Helicopters that Yameen wanted to return to Delhi will continue to be utilised in the island nation for medical emergencies. The Maldivian ministers also stressed that unlike in the Yameen government,  visa regime for Indian professionals, tourists  and journalists will now be liberalised with a new agreement under discussion. India has agreed to revise its currency swap agreement with the archipelago nation strategically crucial to Indian Ocean security architecture.