PM Modi Meets Maldivian President Muizzu, Repairing Strained Bilateral Ties Key Agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Monday. Muizzu, who is known for his pro-China stance, is on a five-day visit to India to repair the island nation's relations with New Delhi, following months of tension caused by controversial remarks made by his ministers about PM Modi.

Muizzu's visit to India comes at a time when the Maldives is facing a financial crisis, worsened by its declining foreign currency reserves.

Upon his arrival in India on Sunday, Muizzu met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

"Jaishankar expressed his pleasure in welcoming the President to India for the state visit. President Dr Muizzu conveyed his gratitude to the Indian government for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation upon arrival," according to a press release from the President's Office of Maldives.

Today, Muizzu received a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the Maldivian President and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. Earlier, they paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi.

He is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with PM Modi at Hyderabad House.

Relations between the Maldives and India have been strained since Muizzu's election, which was driven by the "India Out" campaign. After taking office, he requested that New Delhi withdraw its troops from the Maldives.

In an interview on Sunday, Muizzu explained that his decision to ask for the withdrawal of Indian troops was in response to the wishes of the Maldivian people.

"Maldives and India now have a better understanding of each other's priorities and concerns. What I did is what the people of Maldives asked of me. The recent changes reflect our efforts to address domestic priorities. Our review of past agreements is aimed at ensuring they align with our national interests and contribute positively to regional stability," he told *TOI*.

Regarding his ties with China, Muizzu assured that the Maldives would not take any actions that would compromise India's security.