President Mohamed Muizzu took office in the Maldives in November 2023. Muizzu is a pro-China, anti-India president who has promoted an “India Out” policy, calling for the withdrawal of Indian troops who had been stationed in the Maldives. He also allowed a Chinese military research vessel (which the Indian media referred to as a “spy … Read more
Under a new defense cooperation agreement with the Maldives, China is set to offer free military assistance to the island nation. Coming soon after the presidential order to remove Indian naval personnel from the Maldives and after a so-called Chinese research vessel visited Malé, the agreement is no doubt a provocation to India. Whatever the … Read more
President Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives recently concluded a state visit to China during which he met President Xi Jinping, signed several deals, and saw the China-Maldives relationship upgraded to the level of “comprehensive strategic cooperation.” While the outcomes that Muizzu flew across the Indian Ocean with following his state visit to China are fairly standard, … Read more
On December 1, following his first meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai, Maldives’ newly elected President Mohamed Muizzu announced that India had agreed to withdraw troops from his country. Muizzu’s election campaign had focused on an “India Out” plank. A day after his electoral win … Read more
Advertisement The Maldives’ presidential election is set to take place on September 9. Currently, the election is shaping up to be a competitive race, pitting incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih against seven challengers: Mayor of Malé, Mohamed Muizzu, of the Progressive Alliance, consisting of the People’s National Congress (PNC) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM); … Read more
Advertisement Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Maldives this week to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation came at a critical juncture, with the island country planning to hold general elections in September 2023. Singh’s trip was preceded by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit in January, where he emphasized India and Maldives’ shared responsibility for … Read more