Male: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go on a four-day visit to Britain and Maldives from Wednesday. The purpose of this visit is to sign the India-UK free trade agreement and strengthen bilateral relations. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi will visit Britain on a two-day visit in the first phase and then attend the Independence Day celebrations in Maldives as the 'chief guest'. The Prime Minister's visit to Maldives from July 25 to 26 is considered important as it is a symbol of strengthening bilateral relations again. Relations between the two countries had become tense after Mohammed Muizzu, who is considered pro-China, came to power in November 2023.
Modi will be the chief guest on Maldives' Independence Day
From London, Modi will go to Maldives. He will mainly attend the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Maldives' independence on July 26. This will be Modi's third visit to Maldives and the first visit of an Indian head of government after President Muizzu takes office in November 2023. Prime Minister Modi and President Muizzu will discuss issues of mutual interest and take stock of the progress in the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Approach for a 'Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership'. This joint approach was adopted during Muizzu's visit to India in October last year.
Maldives seeking 7 billion euro loan from India
According to Adhadhu's report, the Moammad Muizzu-led government of Maldives is trying to borrow about 7 billion euros (MVR) from India for major projects ahead of the local council elections next year. Reliable sources have confirmed that the government is currently in talks to seek financial assistance from the Indian government. "We are talking about billions of dollars worth of rufiyaa projects," one source said. Another source said the government is in talks with India to get assistance for projects related to housing, other infrastructure projects and vehicle purchases. "I estimate that the value of these projects is more than 6 billion euros (MVR)," the source said.
Maldives forced to seek help from India
The Maldives government has been forced to seek assistance from India due to its unstable foreign policy, which has prevented it from getting assistance from other countries, including China. Due to this, many major development projects of the Maldives have been stalled or postponed, while new projects have not started. Mohammed Muizzu won the 2023 presidential election through the "India Out" campaign. After coming to power, Muizzu initially tried to push India away and build ties with China and other countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
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