Insta
Maldives Ready To Call-Out ‘Chinese Economic Colonialism’: Nation Looks To Restore Ties With India
Swarajya Staff
Nov 23, 2018, 11:25 AM | Updated 11:25 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
In an interview with the Times of India, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has said that the new government in Maldives will seek to restore traditional economic and security ties with India. Shahid vowed to prioritise visa issues affecting Indian nationals and stated that the previous government’s decision to remove Indian naval helicopters from the country had been reversed.
He lambasted the previous government under former president Abdulla Yameen for jeopardising ties with India by delaying work visas for Indians and asking the Indian government to remove its naval helicopters from the archipelago.
Shahid will be travelling to New Delhi on his first visit abroad as the Foreign Minister, followed by a visit to China. He expressed his government’s desire for the restoration of reciprocal visa benefits to Maldivian citizens.
He added that his government will restore India’s position as a key trading partner since India had always played an important role in the social and economic development of the Maldives. Under the present government, Male is said to be planning to withdraw from its Free Trade Agreement with China.
“Decisions already taken (by the new government) shows that President Solih will prioritise the Maldives’ traditional relationship with India. PM Modi’s presence at the inauguration and the discussion between the two leaders are a signal of President Solih’s keenness to restore the friendship,” Shahid stated.
The ruling party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has called for an audit of all infrastructure projects in the country, expressing concern about China’s economic stranglehold on the Maldives as 70 per cent of its external debt is owed to China.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.