Why in the News?
- Maldives has started discussion with India for the removal of the latter's military presence in the region.
What’s in Today’s Article?
- India – Maldives bilateral relations (Background, political, bilateral, defence, tourism factors)
- News Summary
India – Maldives Bilateral Relationship:
- India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links and enjoy close, cordial and multi-dimensional relations.
- India was among the first to recognise Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
Maldives’ Strategic Significance for India:
- Maldives’ proximity to the west coast of India (it is barely 70 nautical miles away from Minicoy).
- The country is situated at the hub of commercial sea-lanes running through the Indian Ocean.
- Also, it has the potential to allow a third nation’s naval presence, for example China, in the area.
Political Relations:
- Bilateral relations have been nurtured and strengthened by regular contacts at the highest levels.
- India’s relationship with the Maldives is free of any politically contentious issues.
- India’s prompt assistance during the 1988 coup attempt, led to development of trust and long-term and friendly bilateral relations with the Maldives.
- Under Operation Cactus the Indian Armed Forces helped the Government of Maldives in the neutralization of the coup attempt.
- ‘India First’ has been a stated policy of the Government of Maldives.
- On international issues Maldives has consistently supported India in multilateral fora, such as the UN, the Commonwealth, the NAM (Non-Alignment Movement) and the SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation).
Bilateral Trade:
- India and Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, which provides for export of essential commodities.
- Growing from modest beginnings, India-Maldives bilateral trade in 2020 stood at US$ 213.91 million with trade balance heavily in favour of India.
- State Bank of India has been playing a vital role in the economic development of the Maldives since 1974 by providing loan assistance for promotion of island resorts, export of marine products and business enterprises.
Defence Cooperation:
- India provides the largest number of training opportunities for Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting around 70% of their defence training requirements.
- A Comprehensive Action Plan for Defence was also signed in April 2016 to consolidate defence partnership.
Indian Community:
- Indians are the second largest expatriate community in Maldives with an approximate strength of around 22,000.
- About 25% of Doctors and Teachers in Maldives are Indian nationals.
Tourism:
- Tourism directly accounts for about quarter of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Maldives and indirectly for a much larger proportion of GDP.
- India remained the top market for Maldives tourism in 2022 dominating over 14% with 240,000 arrivals.
News Summary:
- Maldives has started discussion with India for the removal of the latter's military presence in the region.
- Around 75 Indian military officials are currently based out of the country and maintain New Delhi-sponsored radar stations and surveillance aircraft.
- Indian warships help patrol Maldives’ exclusive economic zone.
- Reason behind Discussions on Removal of India’s Military Presence in Maldives:
- The removal of foreign troops had been one of the key poll promises from Maldives’ new President-elect Mohamed Muizzu.
- During a heated Presidential elections, he had accused incumbent Ibrahim Solih of allowing India unchecked sway over Maldives’ internal affairs.
- He also claimed that the current leader had surrendered the country’s sovereignty by allowing Indian troops to be stationed in the area.
- Government of India’s Response:
- India is yet to officially address the calls for removal of troops and has merely voiced hope for constructive engagement with the incoming administration.
