'Won't do anything that undermines the security of India': Maldives President Muizzu

President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. Ahead of their bilateral talks , President Muizzu emphasized that the Maldives remains committed to upholding India's security interests, portraying Delhi as a significant ally and friend. He expressed eagerness for collaboration in various sectors, particularly in defence.

Muizzu's first bilateral visit to India occurred after he previously visited New Delhi in June to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony alongside leaders from six other regional countries.

The visit follows a period marked by tensions in bilateral relations, exacerbated by Muizzu's request for India to withdraw over 80 military personnel stationed in the Maldives to operate three aircraft. Additionally, Muizzu has taken several measures to align his country more closely with China.

Despite being perceived as aligning with China, President Muizzu asserted that the Maldives' ties with India are rooted in mutual respect and common objectives. He stated that India has consistently been a key trade and development partner for his nation, a relationship that he intends to maintain and strengthen.

In an interaction with the Times of India, Muizzu said: "Maldives would never do anything that undermines the security of India. While we enhance our cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring our actions do not compromise the security and stability of our region..."

Muizzu and his ministers and senior officials reached New Delhi on Sunday and was received at the airport by minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. The two countries are expected to finalise several agreements to boost cooperation in a range of areas when Muizzu meets Modi for talks on Monday.

During his stay in India, Muizzu is expected to visit Agra, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar met Muizzu soon after his arrival. In a post on X, Jaishankar appreciated Muizzu’s commitment to enhance the India-Maldives relationship and said: “Confident that his talks with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties.”

Ahead of his arrival in New Delhi, Muizzu said he is hopeful India will come to the aid of the Maldives in the face of an economic crisis. “India is fully cognisant of our fiscal situation, and as one of our biggest development partners, will always be ready to ease our burden, find better alternatives and solutions to the challenges we face,” he told BBC.

India has provided $1.4 billion in financial assistance to Male for various infrastructure and development projects. The Maldives is facing a potential debt default as its foreign exchange reserves have dwindled to $440 million, enough for just 1.5 months of imports. Moody's recently downgraded the country's credit rating, citing increased default risks. Despite this, Male's Minister of Finance has stated that the country is not on the brink of a sovereign debt default and has no intention of seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund. Moody's has warned that the Maldives' reserves are insufficient to cover upcoming external debt payments.