On derogatory words on PM Modi, Maldives minister says, ‘Won’t happen again'
- In Reports
- 11:30 PM, May 09, 2024
- Myind Staff
During his first official visit to India, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer clarified on Thursday that the Mohamed Muizzu government did not support the derogatory remarks made by certain Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer said, “I think if you have seen like you said, we have said that it’s not the stand of the government or it’s not the view of the government. And we believe it shouldn’t have been done. And then we are taking proper action to make sure that this don’t repeat.”
“And I think if you have seen, there has been a misunderstanding, in the social media mainly, but the governments of the Maldives in India, we understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now,” he added.
In January this year, a diplomatic row broke out between India and Maldives over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lakshadweep visit. The Indian PM had shared pictures of strolling and snorkelling in the Indian archipelago, which some from the island nation saw as an attempt to draw visitors away from its beaches.
In reaction to images shared by PM Modi, three deputy ministers of the Maldivian government posted derogatory remarks on X, with one of them even calling the Prime Minister “a clown” and “a puppet of Israel”.
Shortly after, Maldives Deputy Youth Ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Mahzoom Majid, and Malsha Shareef were suspended indefinitely. However, as per Maldives-based news organisation Adhadhu, the three continue to receive their salaries.
Zameer's visit came against the backdrop of tensions between India and the Maldives during President Muizzu's administration.
Maldives is currently grappling with a boycott from Indian visitors, who constitute the largest segment of Maldives' tourism industry. According to sun.mv, the first four months of 2024 witnessed a 42 per cent decrease in Indian tourists compared to the previous year. Data from the Tourism Ministry reveals that as of May 4, the Maldives has welcomed 43,991 Indian tourists this year. In contrast, during the same period last year, 73,785 Indian tourists were visiting the Maldives, as reported by PTI.
Zameer said that the Maldivian government was eager to mend ties with India.
He said, “I think the Minister of Tourism has clearly said that he would like to welcome and I like myself to welcome all Indians who would like to travel to Maldives. But I think in the long term, once we move forward because if you're seen in the last eight months, in Maldives and India, we are going through election cycles. So I think we will move beyond that phase pretty soon and we would like all Indian tourists to come back.”
“And if you look at the trajectory of what has happened. If you go back about 10 years ago, there continued to be a very important source market and then during COVID Indian travellers actually came into all this in high numbers. And then that trend continued ... In the past couple of months and we have had about 16-17 per cent increase and then of course there has been a decrease in Indian markets but I'm confident that it will pick up in the near future,” he added.
Zameer's visit to India coincides with strained relations with Maldives under the leadership of President Mohamed Muizzu, who is seen as aligning with China. India's announcement of replacing its military personnel from Maldives before May 10 adds further tension to the situation.
In April, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the first batch of Indian technical personnel reached the Maldives to replace the defence personnel. India and the Maldives have held two high-level core group meetings, and the third one is expected to take place soon.
Talking about the defence relationship between the two countries, Zameer said, “I think Maldives-India defence relations go beyond military personnel. And now, those platforms which have been handled by the military personnel will be handled by civilians. We have had a joint exercise with the Maldivian military, Indian military and Sri Lanka I think Bangladesh is an observer and we will continue to have these exercises...Peace and security of the Indian Ocean is important for both Maldives as well as India. So we will work together to make the Indian Ocean a peaceful place.”
Muizzu's party campaigned prominently on the removal of Indian troops from the country during the elections. Presently, there are approximately 70 Indian troops stationed in the Maldives, accompanied by a Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters.
Image source: X
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