New York, September 27: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said that he is planning to visit India as soon as possible. He also praised the "very strong" bilateral relationship between the two countries. "I am planning to visit (India) as soon as possible...We have a very strong bilateral relationship," Muizzu told ANI on sidelines of 79th United Nations General Assembly. Notably, if happens, it will be Muizzu's second visit to India, after first making the visit in June during the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It is pertinent to note that earlier almost every Maldivian President used to make his first foreign visit to India, but Muizzu changed the trend by first visiting Turkiye and then China, after coming to office earlier this year. The Mohamed Muizzu government in the Maldives took a reconciliatory tone after ties between the two nations soured, leading to a diplomatic row. Since coming to power, Muizzu has taken several steps that have been unconventional from the point of view of India-Maldives ties. He ran his whole presidential campaign on the lines of 'India Out'. The removal of Indian troops from the country was the main election campaign of Muizzu's party. Bangladesh Chief Adviser Yunus Holds Bilateral Talks with Maldives President Muizzu.

Last December, the Maldives said it would not renew the Hydrographic Survey agreement made with India. After Muizzu government officially requested India to withdraw troops, the Indian government set up a High-Level Core Group to discuss the matter. The withdrawal of Indian troops was completed in May this year. But the row between New Delhi and Male erupted after three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over his pictures from the visit to Lakshadweep. Mohamed Muizzu Accepts Invitation to Attend PM Modi's Swearing-in Ceremony: Maldives Prez Office.

The matter snowballed into a major diplomatic row, with New Delhi summoning the Maldivian envoy and registering a strong protest against the viral posts. The three deputy ministers were suspended and they remain under suspension with pay. Maldives Tourism Ministry data showed, earlier this year, that the number of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives dropped by 33 per cent as compared to last year.

In August, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar visited Maldives. He, along with his Maldivian counterpart, Moosa Zameer inaugurated High Impact Community Development Projects and exchanged MoUs in Male. Earlier this year, President Muizzu thanked India for its support of the island nation in easing its debt repayment and affirmed hope that New Delhi and Male would forge stronger ties and sign a free trade agreement.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2024 12:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).