Newly appointed Indian High Commissioner presents credentials to Pres. Muizzu

The newly appointed High Commissioner of India to the Maldives G. Balasubramanian has presented his Letter of Credence to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

Balasubramanian presented his credentials to the Maldivian president during a ceremony held at the President’s Office on Monday morning.

He was escorted to the President’s Office from Republic Square in a cultural procession called ‘Haiykolhu,’ accompanied by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Drum and Trumpet Band.

Balasubramanian presented his credentials to the President, who accepted it and welcomed him as the High Commissioner of India to the Maldives.

The presentation of the Letter of Credence was followed by a meeting between the two during which the Indian High Commissioner conveyed greetings from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.

The President and the High Commissioner discussed enhancing development cooperation, ongoing projects by the Indian government in the Maldives, increasing investments across multiple sectors, and strengthening people-to-people connections.

They concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to continued partnership and cooperation between the two countries.

Balasubramanian replaces Munu Mahawar, who held the post of Indian high commissioner to the Maldives since November 2021. Mahawar had served as India’s top envoy through the most turbulent times in relations between Male’ and New Delhi.

Balasubramanian's career in the Indian foreign service includes significant assignments across key diplomatic missions, such as Moscow, Washington DC, and Bangkok, where he has served as Deputy Chief of Mission and India's Deputy Permanent Representative to United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

Relations between Male’ and New Delhi had been strained in the early days of President Muizzu’s presidency after he demanded that India withdraw its troops from Maldives – executing a pledge he made during his presidential campaign. Things escalated further after three Maldivian deputy ministers made disparaging remarks regarding India and Indian Prime Minister Modi following a social media post promoting India’s Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

The Maldives Foreign Ministry was quick to distance itself from the remarks, saying that they do not represent the views of the Male’ government. The three junior ministers were suspended, and two of them later resigned. 

But despite the earlier turmoil, officials from both Male’ and Delhi repeatedly expressed keenness to maintaining relations and engaged in several high-level visits between the two countries.