Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Friday called India his country’s closest and most trusted ally, a sharp turn after the earlier ‘India Out’ campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita & Maitri (BHISHM) Health Cubes to Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, in Malé on Friday.(DPR PMO)

Muizzu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Presidential office in Male during the Indian leader’s two-day state visit to the Maldives.

Muizzu expressed his appreciation for India’s commitment to being the first responder in any crisis that Male faces.

“India has long stood as the Maldives’s closest and most trusted partner. Our collaboration spans a wide range of areas, from security and trade to healthcare, education and beyond, touching the everyday lives of our citizens,” Muizzu said.

Apart from appreciating India for its response to the Maldives’ crisis, President Muizzu also discussed various areas of cooperation with PM Modi, including development partnership, infrastructure support, capacity building, climate action, and health.

PM Modi reiterated India’s commitment to support Maldives and its people, as per its requirements and priorities, and for the peace, progress and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region.

Both leaders took stock of the progress in implementing the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a ‘Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership’. Modi reiterated India’s commitment to further deepen bilateral ties in keeping with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ and Vision MAHASAGAR policies.

Both countries called for further strengthening defence and maritime security cooperation and highlighted their collaboration under the Colombo Security Conclave.

The two leaders also reviewed the economic partnership between the two countries. The Prime Minister underscored that the proposed Free Trade Agreement and the Bilateral Investment Treaty would open new opportunities for both sides.

Noting that the two countries must take advantage of the digital economy, especially to promote tourism, he welcomed the recent understandings on UPI adoption, the acceptance of the RUPAY card, and trade in local currencies. The two leaders highlighted that the close development partnership between the countries was adding new value to the already strong people-to-people ties.

The two leaders noted that, as Global South partners, they would continue to work on issues such as climate change, renewable energy promotion, disaster risk reduction, and weather science in the interests of the planet and its people.

PM Modi thanked President Muizzu for his strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack and the solidarity extended to India in the fight against terrorism.

What agreements did India and Maldives sign during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Maldives?

India and the Maldives signed six MOUs during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture, meteorology, digital public infrastructure, UPI, Indian pharmacopoeia, and concessional Line of Credit.

The new Line of Credit offers ₹4850 crores (approx $550 million) in support of infrastructure development and other activities in the Maldives. An Amendatory Agreement for the existing LoCs was also exchanged, reducing Maldives’s annual debt repayment obligations by 40% (from $51 million to $29 million). Both sides also exchanged the Terms of Reference of the proposed Free Trade Agreement.

The two leaders also virtually inaugurated a roads and drainage system project in Addu city and six High Impact Community Development Projects in other cities. PM Modi handed over 3,300 social housing units and 72 vehicles for the Maldives National Defence Force and Immigration authorities.

He also handed over two units of Aarogya Maitri Health Cube (BHISHM) sets to the Government of Maldives. With state-of-the-art medical equipment as part of the cube, it can provide medical aid to 200 casualties with in-built support to sustain a crew of six medical personnel for up to 72 hours.