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PM Modi has left for Maldives from a UK tour.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for a two -day Maldives visit. This will be his third Maldives visit. Here he is going to the invitation of Maldives President Mohammad Mujju.
Modi will attend the 60th independence ceremony of Maldives on 26 July as the chief guest. During this time, the completion of 60 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Maldives will also be celebrated.
Mohammad Mujju became President in November 2023, since then a foreign leader’s first official visit. During this time many agreements (MOUs) will be signed in defense and strategic fields.
These agreements will further strengthen India’s development partnership with Maldives under India’s “Neberhood First” policy. Modi can also inaugurate some projects prepared in collaboration with Modi during this visit.
Special Modi’s visit to improve relations
PM Modi’s visit is special to give new direction to India-Maldives relations, increase economic cooperation and increase strategic stability in the Indian Ocean.
1. Improvement in bilateral relations: The ‘India Out’ campaign was run against India in Maldives in 2022 and 2023. However, later President Mujju changed his stance and took steps towards strengthening relations with India.
2. Strategic importance: Maldives is a special neighbor of India in the Indian Ocean region. The tour strengthens India’s ‘Neberhood First’ Policy and ‘Vision Sagar’. The purpose of which is regional stability and marine security.
3. Economic Cooperation: Maldives is struggling with economic crisis. PM Modi and Mujju can start several development projects and will sign several settlements (MoUs). Both countries are also working on promoting digital payment facility like UPI.
4. Countering China’s influence: Many Mujju policies showed inclination towards China. The tour reflects the importance of strategic bases like regional diplomacy and INS Jatayu between India and Maldives. It is also part of India’s strategy to reduce China’s growing influence.
5. Tourism: The ‘Boycott Maldives’ campaign against ‘India Out’ started in 2024. This reduced the number of Indian tourists in Maldives. The tour is expected to promote tourism and strengthen cultural relations between the two countries.
Bycot Maldives campaign went on in India
In the last few years, India-Maldives relations have been ups and downs. In 2023, Muizu won the election with the ‘India Out’ slogan, but at the UN Cop-28 conference in Dubai in December 2023, the meeting of PM Modi and Mujju started a reform in relationships.
The two leaders agreed to increase the economic partnership and the interaction between the people. However, the ‘Bycot Maldives’ campaign began in India after some Maldives ‘visit to the Maldives’ visit to Lakshadweep by some Maldives ministers in early 2024.
After a visit to China in January 2024, Muizu said that Maldives could be a small country, but no one can “threaten” it. He had demanded the removal of Indian military personnel by May 2024, after which India removed the soldiers and sent technical employees in their place.
The relationship between the two countries improves due to Mujju’s visit to India
Relations improved in 2024. During the visit of Mujju in October 2024, India made a $ 750 million currency swap deal for Maldives. This helped the Maldives deal with the deficiency of foreign currency.
In May 2025, India further strengthened the Maldives’ economy by rolling the $ 50 million Treasury Bill.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that both countries have worked hard to improve relations. Agreements are expected in many areas during this visit, including new areas such as free trade agreement, renewable energy, fisheries and digital infrastructure.
Earlier, former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in 2015 and former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were the chief guest at the Independence Day celebrations in 2017.
