Maldives’ pro-China President Muizzu seeks debt relief from India: ‘Closest ally’
In an interview with local media, Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu acknowledged India’s significant role in providing aid to the Maldives and said India has implemented the “greatest number” of projects. He urged New Delhi to consider providing debt relief to the archipelago nation, which owed approximately USD 400.9 million to India by the end of last year.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. (File)(HT_PRINT)
Stressing the enduring bond between the Maldives and India, President Muizzu said that India would continue to be the Maldives’ closest ally, Maldives news portal Edition.mv said in a report that carried excerpts of Muizzu’s interview to its Dhivehi language sister-publication ‘Mihaaru.’
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We have inherited very large loans taken from India: Muizzu
During an interview, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu urged India to consider debt relief measures for the Maldives due to the burden of significant loans taken over multiple governments.
“The conditions we have inherited are such that there are very large loans taken from India. Hence, we are holding discussions to explore leniencies in the repayment structure of these loans.
“Instead of halting any ongoing projects … to proceed with them at speed, so I see no reason for any adverse effects (on Maldives-India relations),” Muizzu added.
Under the previous administration led by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, said to be pro-India, loans from the Export and Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) totalled USD 1.4 million (MVR 22 million). As of last year, Maldives owed approximately MVR 6.2 billion to India, roughly USD 400.9 million at the current exchange rate.
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Matter of our national security: Muizzu on Indian military presence in Maldive
President Mohamed Muizzu said the Indian military presence in Maldives is “the only matter of contention” with the neighbourhood. He said that both countries had acknowledged this issue, with India agreeing to withdraw its military presence.
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“It is not nice to dismiss or disregard aid from one country to another as useless,” he said and claimed that he had not taken any action or made any statements that may strain the relationship between the two countries.
“Even if they are troops of some other country, we will deal with them in the same manner. I have said so very clearly. It is nothing personal but rather a matter of our national security,” he added.
Regarding the deployment of civilians instead of military personnel to operate helicopters and aircraft, Muizzu defended the decision as pragmatic.
Inputs from PTI
