Page 9 - India Maldives Ties

India has been our 911 call: Ex-Maldives min over remarks against PM Modi

She further expressed disappointment over disparaging remarks, highlighting India as the "911 call" for the Maldives, always coming to their rescue in times of need

Since pandemic, India-Maldives trade has surged even as investments lag

India exported goods worth $2.6 billion to Maldives between 2013-14 and 2022-23 and imported $644 million from Maldives in the same period

LIVE: PM Modi lands in Ahmedabad to take part in Vibrant Gujarat Summit

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Diplomatic row leads Maldivian storm spread to travel, trade, celebland

As #BoycottMaldives trended, a travel technology firm decided to indefinitely suspend all flight bookings to the island nation. Meanwhile, searches for Lakshadweep shot up manyfold

'Boycott will hit hard as over 200,000 Indians visit Maldives yearly'

Over 2 lakh Indians visited Maldives annually in the last three years, the highest from any country post-COVID 19 pandemic, according to the official data amid calls from several quarters to boycott the island nation as a travel destination following a diplomatic row between the two nations. According to the Maldives Tourism Ministry statistics, over 17 lakh tourists visited the island nation in 2023, out of which more than 2,09,198 visitors were Indians followed by Russians (2,09,146) and China (1,87,118). The number of Indian visitors was more than 2.4 lakh in 2022 while over 2.11 lakh Indians flew to the Maldives in 2021. The Maldives was also one of the few countries open for international tourists during the pandemic and nearly 63,000 Indians visited that country during that period. In 2018, India was the fifth-largest source of tourist arrivals in the Maldives with 90,474 visitors. In 2019, India reached the second spot with 1.66 lakh Indians visiting that country. However,

India-Maldives row: Traders to refrain from dealing with island, asks CAIT

Amid the India-Maldives diplomatic row, traders' body CAIT on Monday called upon domestic traders and exporters to refrain from conducting business dealings with the island nation. CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal observed that the offensive comments targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been deemed unacceptable by the business community, and this call to boycott aims to express solidarity and register disapproval against such disrespectful behaviour. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) stated it has "urged traders and exporters to refrain from conducting business dealings with the Maldives". Khandelwal said the appeal "encourages traders to stand united in sending a strong message against such behaviour by temporarily abstaining from trade engagements with the Maldives". Khandelwal stressed upon the need for mutual respect in diplomatic discourse and condemned any form of disrespect towards the leaders of friendly nations. Meanwhile, the Maldivian envoy t

Highlights on Maldives row: MakeMyTrip launches 'Beaches of India' campaign

Highlights on Lakshadweep issue: Catch all the latest developments on the India-Maldives row here

Maldives' envoy summoned by govt amid diplomatic row over ministers' remark

The development comes a day after three Maldives ministers were suspended for their "derogatory" remarks on PM Modi, which triggered a massive nationwide boycott call against the island nation

Remarks against PM Modi do not represent views of people: Maldivian govt

The Maldivian government on Monday informed India's High Commissioner Munu Muhawar that the derogatory remarks made by three now-suspended deputy ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not represent its views. The Indian High Commissioner met Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed, the Ambassador-at-Large at the Foreign Ministry, according to the Sun Online. A top Maldivian government official said that during the meeting, Naseer made it clear that the remarks do not reflect the views of the Maldivian government, and reaffirmed Maldives' continued support for its neighbour, the website reported. The Maldivian foreign ministry said the government is aware of "derogatory remarks" on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent its position. The meeting came after India summoned Maldivian envoy Ibrahim Shaheeb on Monday to the external affairs ministry and conveyed strong concern over remarks posted on social media against the Prime Minister by

Vistara airlines to monitor demand for flights amid India-Maldives row

Amid the India-Maldives row, full service carrier Vistara on Monday said it will monitor the demand for flights between the two countries as the "situation is evolving right now". Vistara operates one flight each daily from Mumbai and Delhi to Male. Airline's Chief Commercial Officer Deepak Rajawat said it has not cancelled anything as of now and will monitor the demand for flights. "The situation is very evolving right now... we will have to monitor in a week or so," he said at a briefing in response to queries about the Maldives situation. Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet also operate flights to the Maldives. There were no comments from the three airlines on the current situation. India has conveyed its strong concerns to Maldives over remarks posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a number of ministers of that country. The disparaging remarks by the ministers have drawn flak in India, with many celebrities urging people on X to explore domestic tourist ..

Indian envoy meets Maldivian official in Male amid row over remarks on PM

In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi

Maldives Prez Muizzu arrives in China, set to sign several agreements

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu arrived here on Monday on a five-day state visit during which he is due to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and sign several agreements to bolster the bilateral ties. Muizzu, who is regarded as pro-China, is accompanied by his wife Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation. The President and the First Lady were greeted by senior Chinese officials upon their arrival. Muizzu's maiden visit to China, however, has been marred by a huge diplomatic row triggered by the derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by some Maldivian ministers after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his visit to Lakshadweep. The Maldivian envoy to India was on Monday summoned to the external affairs ministry and conveyed strong concern over remarks. Muizzu is due to hold talks with Chinese President Xi and sign several agreements to bolster the bilateral ties, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang ...

Boycott Maldives trends on X, here are the celebrities who joined campaign

After a derogatory remark by Maldivian ministers against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several celebrities and cricketers urged people to explore the Indian islands instead of Maldives

EaseMyTrip suspends flight bookings to Maldives over tourism row with India

Maldivian ministers mocked PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, stating that India could not compete in terms of tourism

Maldives Foreign Minister calls remarks against PM Modi 'unacceptable'

In a post shared on X, Zameer stated, "The recent remarks against foreign leaders and our close neighbours are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Government of Maldives"

Maldives govt suspends 3 ministers over derogatory remarks against PM Modi

The Maldivian government Sunday suspended three ministers who posted "derogatory remarks" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as it distanced itself from their comments on social media and said these opinions are "personal and do not represent the views of the Government". The development came after opposition leaders slammed the "appalling language" used by the officials against the Indian leader. "Government officials who posted derogatory remarks about neighbouring India have been suspended, state broadcaster PSM News reported, citing the President's Office. The Maldives government has affirmed its commitment to taking swift action against individuals on social media whose conduct undermines international relations, it added. The Sun Online identified the officials who were suspended over the posts as three deputy ministers from the Youth Ministry; Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid. Earlier on Sunday, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said they were aware o

'Strongly condemn derogatory, racist remarks on PM Modi': Ex-Maldivian VP

The condemnation by the former vice-premier comes amid mounting anger over a Maldivian deputy minister's post, making a mocking reference to Prime Minister Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep

Envoy takes up minister's remarks against PM Modi with Maldivian govt

Earlier in the day, former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed condemned the derogatory remarks made by the Shiuna and urged President Mohamed Muizzu to distance the government from the comments

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to visit China from January 8-12

New Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu will pay a state visit to China from January 8 to 12, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced here on Friday. Muizzu, a close associate of former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen who forged close ties with China during his Presidency from 2013 to 2018, took oath as the eighth President of the Maldives after defeating India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September. Muizzu is visiting China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a press release. Muizzu's predecessors in the recent past visited India first, considering the wide-ranging bilateral ties and the Maldives' proximity to India, followed by China which has expanded its influence in the island nation by investing in major infrastructure projects there. However, Muizzu chose Turkey as his first visit soon after his election followed by the UAE where he met Prime Minister ...

Maldives opts out of hydrology agreement with Indian Navy signed in 2019

The Maldives has decided to pull out of the 2019 agreement for cooperation in the field of hydrology between Indian Navy and Maldives National Defence Force