Page 3 - Maldives

India adds two more ports for export of essential commodities to Maldives

India has announced two additional ports for the export of essential commodities from India to the Maldives for the financial year of 2024-25.The two new ports announced are namely: Kandla Sea (INIXY1) and Vishakhapatnam Sea (INYTZ1)."Government of India has announced the inclusion of two additional ports for export of essential commodities from India to the Maldives for FY 2024-2025," the Indian High Commission in Maldives said in a post on X.Kandla and Vishakhapatnam Customs Sea ports have been added to the list of ports allowed for Export of Essential Commodities. This is in addition to four ports which were already in use."In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 read with Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act. 1992. read with paragraph 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, as amended from time to tone, the Central Government hereby amends Notification No 06/2023 dated 15 04 2024 incorporating (2) additional Ports for Export of

Maldives to court Indian tourists with trade shows, celebrity campaigns

Amid strained India-Maldives ties since last year, during the January to July period of this year, Indian arrivals to the Maldives declined to approximately 71,000 from 110,000 the previous year

Maldives President thanks India for strengthening country's fragile economy

President Mohamed Muizzu has thanked India and China for helping strengthen the Maldives' fragile economy, highlighting the importance of the two countries in addressing the Island nation's looming debt crisis and its future development. China and India provide the most assistance in repaying the country's debt, President Muizzu said on Friday at an official function held to mark the 59th anniversary of the country's independence. "I thank the Chinese government and the Indian government on behalf of the Maldivian people for their cooperation with this effort to strengthen the economy, to assure our economic sovereignty, for the sake of the Maldivian people," Muizzu was quoted as saying by Maldivian news portal adhadhu.com. Muizzu came to power last year on an anti-India campaign plank seeking the removal of around 80 Indian military personnel operating helicopters and Dornier aircraft donated by India. China for its part has scaled up its relations with Maldives, since Muzzu, wide

Ties based on shared democratic values: Indian High Commission to Maldives

India's "special relationship" with the Maldives is based on shared democratic values, the Indian mission here has said, expressing confidence in intensifying Parliamentary linkages with the archipelago nation. The Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, Munu Mahawar, paid a courtesy call to Speaker of the Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Thursday. "The High Commissioner of India to the Maldives, H.E. Shri Munu Mahawar, paid a courtesy call on Hon. Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People's Majlis," the Maldivian Parliament's official account said in a post on X on Thursday. "India's special relationship with the Maldives is based on shared democratic values. We look forward to intensifying our Parliamentary linkages," the Indian High Commission said, reposting it. Earlier this month, Mahawar called on President Mohamed Muizzu at the President's Office, and the two nations reiterated the "unwavering" commitment to fostering "continued close relations" and enhancing bilateral

Baku Summit tough, finance deal key to climate progress: Ex-Maldives prez

Negotiations at the UN climate conference in Baku in November are expected to be "extremely challenging", former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed has said while emphasizing that an agreement on a new finance goal is central to breaking the political deadlock on climate action. In an interview with PTI, Nasheed, the Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), said Azerbaijan's resolve to negotiate commitments upwards at COP29 under its presidency will be tested. The CVF is a group of developing countries highly vulnerable to climate change. It was founded in November 2009 in the Maldives' capital Male. The forum now comprises 68 countries representing 1.74 billion people. Nasheed said climate finance is all about responsibility and not aid. "It involves trillions of dollars, not billions, because the only way for us to truly fight climate change is to invest our way out of it," he said. Resolving the debate on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) at COP29 in Ba

Maldives' Climate Minister arrested for 'black magic' on President Muizzu

Although sorcery is not a criminal offence under in Maldives, it can result in a six-month jail sentence under Islamic law

'Hoping for strong bilateral relations': Mohamed Muizzu after India visit

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described his first official visit to India as a major 'success'

Maldives faces high debt distress risk, financing challenges: World Bank

Highlighting that the Maldives has been spending beyond its means for decades, the World Bank has warned that the archipelagic nation faces high debt distress risk and financing challenges, making it vulnerable to shocks. World Bank Country Director for the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Faris H Hadad-Zervos also said that the island nation's annual debt servicing needs are likely to be USD 512 million for the current and following years, and another USD 1.07 billion in 2026. Hadad-Zervos's statement, posted on his official X account, comes days after the Ministry of Finance here said that the public and publicly guaranteed debt is almost 110 per cent of Maldives' GDP. The heavily tourism-dependent nation had suffered badly due to the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns and started recovering only in 2023. According to the Ministry of Finance's Quarterly Debt Bulletin for Quarter 1, 2024 published on June 1, the public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) debt has risen to USD 8.2 billion

Muizzu in Delhi, Maldives panel probes previous govt's pacts with India

Despite recent diplomatic gestures, India-Maldives relations remain tense as the Maldives reviews three agreements with India, citing sovereignty concerns

Muizzu's 1st India visit focused on boosting bilateral ties, says Maldives

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation with India on his first official visit to the country, the foreign ministry said here on Tuesday. Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, was in India for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Council of Ministers. Modi was sworn in as prime minister on Sunday for a record-equalling third term, heading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Top leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region, including Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mauritius President Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, attended the ceremony. Muizzu concluded his official visit and arrived back in Male on Tuesday morning, according to the Foreign Ministry here. "The President travelled to India at the invitation of Prime Minister His Excellency Narendra Modi, to attend the swearing

Seven world leaders in Delhi to attend PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu arrived in Delhi on Sunday morning to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi. It is Muizzu's first visit to India after he became the island nation's president in November last year. The Maldivian President is among the leaders from seven countries from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region attending the swearing-in ceremony of Modi and his council of ministers this evening at Rashtrapati Bhavan. "President @MMuizzu of Maldives arrives to a warm welcome in New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X. "India and Maldives are maritime partners and close neighbours," he added. Bangladesh President Sheikh Hasina and Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif have already arrived in Delhi. Besides Muizzu, Hasina and Afif, the other leaders attending the ceremony are Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kama

Would be honoured to attend PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony: Maldivian Prez

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu said on Saturday that he would be honoured to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony and his first visit to India for the historic event would demonstrate that bilateral ties are heading in a "positive direction". Muizzu's remarks came as he accepted the invitation to attend Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi. Modi will be administered the oath of office on Sunday, his third consecutive term as Prime Minister. President Muizzu has accepted the invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and the Council of Ministers of the Government of India, his office said in a statement. This will mark the pro-China president's first official visit to India since assuming office on November 17 last year. Unlike his predecessors, who made the first port of call to New Delhi after assuming office, Muizzu had travelled to Turkiye first and to China for his first state visit in January. Munu Mahawar,

Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu invited to Modi's swearing-in ceremony

The invitation to Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was sent a day after he congratulated Modi on the BJP-led NDA victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Why Israel is asking its people to 'explore' Lakshadweep and ditch Maldives

The Embassy of Israel has adopted a unique strategy in response to the Maldives' ban on Israeli passport holders by promoting tourism in India as an alternative destination

'No proposal made': MEA rejects Maldivian minister's claim on FTA

India on Thursday said it has not made any proposal to the Maldives for a bilateral free trade agreement (DTA) and that it was ready to consider if the island nation expresses interest for such a pact. "No specific proposal for a bilateral FTA with the Maldives has been made by the Government of India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "If the Government of Maldives expresses interest in having an FTA with India, we will give it due consideration," he said. Jaiswal's comments came in response to a question at his weekly media briefing. Last week, Maldivian Minister for Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed indicated that India has initiated efforts to have an FTA between the two countries. "They (India) want there to be a Free Trade Agreement with Maldives, in addition to SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement)," Saeed told a press conference in Male. The Maldives President has offered this opportunity to all countries, Saeed said, adding that

India initiated efforts to create FTA between 2 nations: Maldives minister

Maldives on Saturday said India has initiated efforts to create a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and deliberations are ongoing for achieving it. They (India) want there to be a Free Trade Agreement with Maldives, in addition to SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement), Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed told a press conference here. The Maldives President has offered this opportunity to all countries, Saeed said, adding that the government aims to enter into agreements with as many countries as possible to offer ease in trade activities. India's reported effort at seeking an FTA with the Maldives comes in the backdrop of an ongoing diplomatic row between the two countries since November last year when President Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took the oath. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. The last of the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians earlier

Maldives to launch India's RuPay service amid turbulence in bilateral ties

Notwithstanding the turbulence in their bilateral ties, the Maldives will soon launch India's RuPay service, which a senior minister has said "will bolster the Maldivian Rufiyaa." RuPay, a product of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is the first of its global card payment network in India, with wide acceptance at ATMs, POS devices, and e-commerce websites across India. Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed while announcing how both India and China have agreed to use local currency in bilateral trade, spoke about the upcoming launch of India's RuPay. The upcoming launch of India's RuPay service is anticipated to further bolster the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR), Saeed told state-run PSM News on Wednesday. He also emphasised that addressing the dollar issue and reinforcing the MVR is a top priority for the current administration. However, there has been no announcement of any date for the launch. Last week, a news portal, CorporateMaldives.com, reporte

India, China have agreed to cooperate in paying in local currency: Maldives

The Maldives on Wednesday said both India and China have agreed to cooperate in efforts to pay for imports in their respective countries' currency instead of the US dollar, which is likely to help Male save almost 50 per cent of the annual USD 1.5 million imports bill from the two countries. Maldives' Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed said he met with the Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar two weeks ago, who in turn, said that New Delhi would support and cooperate in arranging for the settlement of import payments in Indian Rupee. Similarly, Saeed said, he received a letter from China's Commerce Ministry, two days ago, in which Beijing provided assurance it will cooperate in allowing the option to settle import payments in Yuan, the Chinese currency, as requested by President Mohamed Muizzu. Annually, Maldives imports goods worth USD 780 million and USD 720 million from India and China respectively, the minister had said in April when he had first announced that the ...

Maldives says it cannot fly three aircraft donated by India. Here's why

The move comes after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, a pro-China leader, insisted on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel by May 10

'True gesture of goodwill': Maldives thanks India for $50 million support

India-Maldives ties: The decision on extending the support was made by the Centre following a request made by Zameer during his official bilateral visit to India last week