Maldives seeks to reset strained ties with India, woo back its tourists

The Maldives appears keen to reset strained relations with India in a move that analysts say is aimed at helping its key tourism industry recover following a steep decline in visitors from its neighbour.

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said he was “committed to deepen India-Maldives ties” during a visit over the weekend to the Maldives, where he met President Mohamed Muizzu.

This was Jaishankar’s first trip to the archipelago nation after Muizzu, who came to power last year on an anti-India and pro-China electoral campaign, expelled Indian troops from his country in May and his administration signed a military assistance pact with Beijing in March.

Analysts say the visit by Jaishankar shows the two countries are keen on mending their relationship.

The Muizzu administration had adopted a more accommodating stance towards New Delhi’s concerns after the Maldives’ parliamentary election, reflecting Malé’s recognition of the risks of jeopardising the long-standing bilateral relationship, said Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy, an associate fellow at the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation’s strategic studies programme.

“We are perhaps seeing a reconciliatory approach from Maldives … India has shown that it is accommodative towards Maldives’ new administration even in the face of the Muizzu administration’s anti-India rhetoric,” he said.

In May, Maldivian Foreign Minister Mooza Zameer travelled to Delhi for discussions on matters of “mutual interest”. Last week, Maldivian Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal met his Indian counterpart Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the Indian capital to explore boosting tourism flows between the two nations.

According to the Maldives’ tourism data, India was the top market for inbound tourism