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India-maldives Relations

This article will cover detailed information about India-maldives Relations

Why in the News?

Recently, Maldives President Ibrahim Solih visited India and pledged to strengthen bilateral ties, with a major focus on maritime security.

MoU (Memorandum of Understanding): The countries signed six MoUs to expand cooperation in a range of areas in Maldives, including:

- The medical and financial assistance from India helped the Maldives overcome the health and economic fallouts of the pandemic.
- India was the first partner to gift Covid-19 vaccines to Maldives.
Environment and Renewable Energy

India lauded the ambitious target set by Maldives to become net zero by 2030 and assured full support.

- The leaders agreed on the need for urgent reforms of the UN bodies, particularly the Security Council.
- Maldives’ support for India’s candidature for permanent membership of an expanded and reformed UN Security Council.

The Maldives government rejected the “India Out” slogan, and described India as the country’s “closest ally and trusted neighbour”.

India – Maldives Relation:

Maldives has a special place in India’s ‘neighbourhood first policy’.
India-Maldives resolved the politically contentious issue over Minicoy Island through the Maritime Boundary Treaty of 1976- recognising Minicoy as part of India.
Defence and Security: In 2016, India-Maldives signed a Comprehensive Action Plan for Defence. Ekuverin is a major joint military exercise between the Indian and Maldives Army.
- Maldives is also part of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). It was announced by India in 2015 as its vision for the Indian Ocean.
Development Cooperation: In 2018, India gave a $1.4 billion economic package to Maldives for its socio-economic development.

Maldives is strategically located in the Indian Ocean. It comprises 1200 coral islands lying next to shipping lanes which ensure uninterrupted energy supplies to countries like China, Japan and India.
As the pre-eminent South Asian power and a net security provider in the Indian Ocean, India needs to cooperate with Maldives in security and defence sectors.
India and Maldives share ethinc, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links.

The Greater Male Connectivity Project:
The Great Male Connectivity Project includes a 6.7-km-long bridge and causeway network connecting Male, Villingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi Islands.
The bridge would connect the islands of Hulhumale, Hulhule and Male with the proposed Gulhifalhu Port and the Thilafushi Industrial Zone.
The Project is funded by the Exim Bank of India under the Indian grant of $100 million and Line of Credit of $400 million.
The Project will be developed by Maharashtra-based construction and engineering company AFCONS.
Operation Sanjeevani: Through Operation Sanjeevani, India delivered 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines and hospital consumables to Maldives during COVID-19 crisis in 2020.

In 2014, India dispatched “water aid” to the Maldives, after a fire destroyed the generator of its biggest water treatment plant.

Maldives is a member of the SAARC. It is important for India to work on the perception management in Maldives to counterattack the malicious India Out Campaign for securing her strategic objectives.
Timely implementation of projects and by extending the Line of Credit(LoC) to Maldives, India can checkmate China’s cheque book diplomacy in the region.