Pres assures no agreement with India compromising Maldives

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who is currently on an official state visit to India, has assured that the Maldives has not entered into any agreement with its neighbor that would compromise the island nation’s sovereignty and independence.

He gave the assurance during a meeting with Maldivian citizens in Bangalore on Wednesday. His assurance was directed to the “A Vision for Comprehensive Partnership on Economic and Maritime Security Partnership” signed between the Maldives and India.

Speaking about this partnership, Muizzu said the agreement is public domain knowledge and added the agreement would not facilitate for foreign military deployment in the Maldives.

“Any one of you can inspect the agreement even now,” he said.

Muizzu assured the Maldives factored its sovereignty as the top consideration when the agreement was drafted. He said each provision in the article pertaining to Maldives’ national security was carefully inspected by the Ministry of Defence and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

He said the agreement was not about granting control to a foreign party, but rather about increasing the capacity of the Maldivian military personnel, while reiterating the contents of the agreement would not be detrimental to the country unlike what the former government was suspected of.

Speaking in this regard, President Muizzu emphasized the sovereignty and independence of the Maldives are the most valuable aspects of the country for its people. He affirmed Indian military will not be present in the Maldives in any form or manner, which both countries have now solved through diplomacy.

While President Muizzu is in India for his first official state visit on the invitation of the Indian President Droupadi Murmu, the current opposition has criticized the incumbent government for its earlier ‘anti-India’ rhetoric.

The ruling-party coalition, back when it had been the primary opposition, alleged the Ibrahim Mohamed Solih-led former government had entered into agreements with India towards the detriment of the Maldives’ sovereign identity.

Back then, the current ruling coalition, had also suspected the former administration permitted deployment of Indian soldiers across Maldives as well.

Although tensions between the Maldives and India intensified not long after President Muizzu assumed office, the relations have been significantly mended with more recent efforts.