Maldives

Maldives president inaugurates airport built with assistance from India

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has inaugurated the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, a project funded under the Indian government's Line of Credit assistance, calling it a gateway to prosperity for the country's north. Muizzu inaugurated the airport on Sunday and described it as a "catalyst for unlocking the potential of the northern Maldives and enhancing global connectivity", according to a statement by the President's Office. Calling it a gateway to prosperity for the north, he said, This is not just an airport, it is a symbol of economic transformation." Muizzu said that the newly opened airport would bring further advancement to tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and the economy, as well as social development to the north, the Sun.mv news portal reported. The inauguration was attended by Indian Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and senior officials from both nations. Speaking on the occasion, Muizzu said the airport serves as a monument that testifies to the

Xi meets Maldives Prez Muizzu, urges stronger ties via FTA implementation

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu here on Sunday and called for deepening bilateral ties with effective implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit being held here on Sunday. The Maldives is a Dialogue Partner of the 10-member SCO bloc. Xi told Muizzu that the two countries have achieved positive progress in advancing Belt and Road cooperation, and China will continue to deepen practical cooperation with the Maldives to ensure the effective implementation of the China-Maldives FTA. Both countries should advance cooperation in areas including fisheries, marine scientific research, environmental protection, as well as disaster prevention and reduction, he said. For his part, Muizzu said the Maldives is willing to work with China to expand cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, housing construction and tourism, and to strengthen coordination and .

Heartfelt thanks to PM Modi for state visit, says Maldives President

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his state visit to the Maldives.Muizzu said that the visit was fruitful, as they witnessed the exchange of four MoUs and three agreements in vital areas, and announced the launch of FTA negotiations.In a post on X, he said, "I extend heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi for his state visit to the Maldives. We held fruitful discussions, witnessed the exchange of 4 MoUs & 3 agreements in vital areas, and announced the launch of FTA negotiations. Together, we celebrated the Maldives' 60th Independence Day, released a commemorative stamp marking 60 years of formal ties, and inaugurated key development projects under Indian assistance. A defining visit that sets a clear path for the future of India-Maldives relations."Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was an honour for him to attend the Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives.In a post on X, he said, "It was

PM Modi joins Maldives' Independence Day celebrations as chief guest

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday graced the Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives as the guest of honour. Modi was warmly welcomed at the iconic Republic Square in this Maldivian capital. The prime minister landed in Male on Friday on a two-day visit primarily to attend the Independence Day celebrations of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

PM Modi arrives in Maldives; to attend Independence Day celebrations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Maldives on Friday on a two-day visit, during which he will attend the archipelago nation's 60th Independence Day celebrations as the chief guest. Modi was received on arrival by President Mohamed Muizzu, who had invited him for the visit. The two leaders are also scheduled to hold extensive talks during the trip. The prime minister was welcomed with a traditional dance performance by children. This is the first state visit of a head of government that Muizzu is hosting in his presidency since assuming office in November 2023, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Modi arrived here from a two-day visit to the UK, during which the two countries inked a landmark trade deal to boost two-way trade by eliminating tariffs on cars, textiles, whisky and a range of other products. Modi's visit to the Maldives is being seen as a breakthrough in the ties between Male and New Delhi following a spell of frostiness under Muizzu. The prime mini

Maldives' Khaleel begins 3-day India visit, to hold talks with Jaishankar

Maldivian Foreign Minister Khaleel arrives in India for third visit in 2024; will co-lead HLCG talks and review bilateral security and economic roadmap with Jaishankar

Capacit'e eyes Middle East market after Maldives foray, cites growth

Data centres and hospitals are key growth drivers for EPC firm Capacit'e Infraprojects as it enters global markets after its first international project in Maldives

Govt extends financial aid to Maldives via rollover of $50 mn Treasury Bill

It was noted that since March 2019, India has been facilitating subscription of several such Treasury Bills by the SBI and rolling them over, annually, interest-free

Maldives' security relies on good ties with India: Ex-President Nasheed

He acknowledged that there was a drop in the number of Indian tourists travelling to Maldives

Maldives seeks aid amid severe debt crisis, $1 billion payment due in 2026

Maldives struggles with soaring debt as $1 billion repayment looms in 2026, seeking urgent financial aid from China, Gulf nations, and regional partners amid crisis

Budget 2025: Maldives gets more aid from India, but what about Bangladesh?

Union Budget 2025: India's foreign aid drops to Rs 5,483 crore in Budget 2025; Maldives sees a hike to Rs 600 crore, Afghanistan's aid doubles, while Myanmar faces a cut amid ongoing internal turmoil

Maldives' Democrats party prez resigns, leaders return to parent party

Hassan Latheef, president of The Democrats, a major opposition party of Maldives, resigned on Saturday while a few senior leaders returned to their parent party. While Latheef has resigned from the post, Democrats senior members Hussain Amru, Ali Azim and Mohamed Shifaz have switched to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), news portal Edition.mv said here. "I resigned because I believe it is very important at this time," he told Mihaaru News, Editions' sister publication. A senior official of The Democrats told the Sun.mv news portal that though Hassan has resigned from the party's leadership role, it is uncertain if he has exited the party entirely. The Democrats party was formed after some members broke away from the MDP following a rift ahead of the September 2023 presidential elections. One faction of the MDP continued allegiance to then President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih --- who is seen as a strong Indian ally and had lost his bid for re-election to Mohamed Muizzu. The other facti

Rajnath Singh to meet Maldivian counterpart for high-level defence talks

The visit included high-level discussions and the signing of key agreements to advance development cooperation, marking a significant step in strengthening the bilateral ties between the two nations

Ex-Maldives Prez dismisses report of India's hand in 'plot' against Muizzu

The former Maldives president stated he was unaware of any 'serious plot' against President Muizzu and added that India would never support such a move

Maldives Speaker accompanied by delegation to visit India from Feb 10-14

India on Friday said the Speaker of People's Republic of Maldives accompanied by a parliamentary delegation will visit the country from February 10-14 next year. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita informed the Lok Sabha in a written response to a query. He was asked whether a number of parliamentary exchanges have been conducted by the government recently in alignment with the emphasis on the 'Neighbourhood First' Policy adopted in the recent years. The query also sought details of all parliamentary exchanges held in the recent years with special reference to the People's Majlis of Maldives. "In keeping with the objectives of the 'Neighbourhood First' Policy for enhancing people to people relations, regular parliamentary exchanges with our neighbouring countries have been taking place over the years," he said. In his response, he also shared details of the recent parliamentary exchanges with the neighbouring countries including with the Maldives. "At the ..

Maldivian Airlines adds 4 new China routes as Indian tourists' number falls

Beginning January 2025, the airline will operate flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi'an

RBI, Maldives Monetary Authority sign pact to promote local currency use

The RBI and the Maldives Monetary Authority on Thursday signed an agreement here for establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies -- the Indian Rupee and the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) for cross-border transactions. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Governor of Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das and Governor of Maldives Monetary Authority Ahmed Munawar. "The MoU encourages the use of INR and MVR in current account transactions, permissible capital account transactions and any other economic and financial transactions as agreed upon by both countries," the RBI said in a statement. This framework would enable exporters and importers to invoice and settle in their respective domestic currencies, which in turn would enable the development of trading in the INR-MVR pair in foreign exchange market. Use of local currencies would optimise costs and settlement time for transactions, the RBI added. "This collaboration marks a key milestone in strengtheni

In a first, US turkey shipment leaves for Indian market after tariff cut

The first shipment of American Turkey products for India left on Tuesday, marking a new phase in the bilateral trade relations between the two countries. The shipment comes over a year after India agreed to the American request to reduce high tariffs on US turkey products. US Senator from Virginia Mark Warner, who is also co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, said this marks a historic milestone in international trade, expanding the reach of American turkey products in global markets, and opening new doors for US turkey producers. "This shipment is a tremendous opportunity for Virginia's poultry producers and a huge step forward for US-India trade," he said. "As co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, I look forward to the ongoing cooperation between our two nations and to seeing a wealth of new opportunities open up for Virginia's poultry producers, Warner said. This shipment comes as a result of a trade agreement and tariff reduction, facilitated by a collaborative effort between th

President Muizzu introduces UPI payment service to boost Maldivian economy

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has taken "necessary steps" to introduce India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the archipelago nation, slated to benefit the Maldivian economy substantially. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI is an instant real-time payment system for facilitating inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. Muizzu on Sunday set up a consortium to introduce UPI in the country and appointed TradeNet Maldives Corporation Limited as its leading agency, according to a press release by the President's Office. The president also suggested the participation of the country's banks, telecom companies, state-owned companies and fintech companies in the consortium. He "decided to take the necessary steps" on the recommendation of the Cabinet, the press release said. "This move is expected to bring significant benefits to the Maldivian economy, including increased financial inclusion, improved efficiency in financial transactions, and

Maldives' strategic shift: Domestic priorities induce a thaw with India

As debt looms and foreign reserves dwindle, Muizzu's invitation to PM Narendra Modi and the push for increased Indian tourism highlight a pragmatic approach to foreign relations