New Delhi: The Maldives will not act to undermine India's security and views New Delhi as a "valued partner and friend", and cooperation in several fields - including defence - will "always be a priority", President Mohamed Muizzu said Sunday as he arrived in the national capital for his first bilateral visit.
Mr Muizzu - seen by some as a 'pro-China' leader who ran his election campaign on an 'India Out' platform - told a national English daily Maldives' relationship with India is "built on respect and shared interests" and that Delhi has been, and is, one of his country's largest trade and development partners.
The Maldives leader is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today.
"Maldives would never do anything to undermine security of India. While we enhance cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring our actions do not compromise the security and stability of our region..." he told The Times of India in an extensive interview.
Mr Muizzu, while not naming China, also underlined his administration's resolve to "fostering growth and development through diverse international collaborations". He flagged his 'Maldives First' policy, saying "it is essential for the Maldives to diversify international relations and reduce over-dependence on any one country". However, he said that such engagements would not undermine India's interests.
"Respect for our neighbours and friends is embedded in our DNA," he said as he also called on Indian tourists to return. "Indians make a positive contribution... Indian tourists are welcome," he said, batting for his country's most important economic sector, which took a hit last year after the diplomatic row.
This is Mr Muizzu's first bilateral visit and the comments reflect growing bonhomie after a months-long diplomatic stand-off last year, over three Maldivian ministers' comments about Prime Minister Modi after a social media post about Lakshadweep as an alternate tourist destination to the Maldives.
The Maldives' Foreign Ministry distanced itself from the remarks and the ministers were suspended; two - Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef - resigned last month after the bilateral visit was confirmed.
And then the request in May - weeks before attending Mr Modi's swearing-in ceremony - to remove 90 military personnel deployed to three aviation platforms gifted by India - also raised eyebrows.
Delhi accepted the request and replaced military personnel with "competent technical" staff.
The ejection of Indian military personnel and an 'India Out' agenda was seen as one of Mr Muizzu's key poll promises. Pressed on these topics, the Maldives President said he "did what the people of Maldives asked of me", but stressed India remains a key partner in efforts to secure regional stability.
"This historic relationship is intertwined like the roots of a tree... built on centuries of exchange and values shared. The relationship between the Maldives and India has always been strong..."
Earlier Mr Muizzu denied having an 'India Out' agenda but insisted his country had a "serious problem" with the presence of foreign military on its soil. "The people of Maldives do not want a single foreign soldier in the country," news agency PTI quoted his comments to local website adhadhu.com.
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Mr Muizzu also spoke about India-assisted infrastructure projects, like the Greater Male connectivity scheme and water and sewerage facilities for 28 islands in the archipelago.
The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
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India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said as he visited Male in August, during which recognises "common challenges and a shared interest in maintaining peace and security in the region".
With input from agencies
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