Maldives Muizzu calls India closest, most trusted ally, praises PM Modi’s crisis support

Mangalore Today News Network

Maldives, July 26, 2025: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Friday described India as his country’s “closest and most trusted partner," marking a significant shift in tone after previously leading the ‘India Out’ campaign.

The remarks were made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to the Maldives, where the two leaders met at the Presidential Office in Male.

President Muizzu appreciated India’s commitment to being the First Responder for the island nation when it came to dealing with any crisis.

“India has long stood as the Maldives’s closest and most trusted partner. Our collaboration spans a wide range of areas, from security and trade to healthcare, education and beyond, touching the everyday lives of our citizens," he said.

President Muizzu also hosted an official banquet in honour of Prime Minister Modi and praised his leadership.

During their discussions, the leaders explored avenues of cooperation across development, infrastructure, climate action, healthcare, and capacity building.

The two leaders emphasised the need to further strengthen defence and maritime security cooperation, acknowledging ongoing collaboration under the Colombo Security Conclave.

They also reviewed the broader economic partnership, with the Prime Minister highlighting that the proposed Free Trade Agreement and Bilateral Investment Treaty could unlock new opportunities for both nations.

Stressing the potential of the digital economy—particularly for boosting tourism—he welcomed recent agreements on the adoption of UPI, acceptance of RuPay cards, and local currency trade.

Both leaders underlined that the close development partnership between India and the Maldives continues to deepen already strong people-to-people connections.

PM Modi further thanked President Mohamed Muizzu for strongly condemning the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and for expressing solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism.

During the bilateral meeting, the two leaders also witnessed the exchange of six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across key sectors, including fisheries and aquaculture, meteorology, digital public infrastructure, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Indian pharmacopoeia, and a new concessional Line of Credit.

The Line of Credit, valued at Rs 4,850 crore (approximately USD 550 million), is aimed at supporting infrastructure development and related projects in the Maldives.