Now, Maldives turns to ‘ally’ India for debt relief

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 22

Though there has been no letup in the new Maldivian regime’s efforts to replace Indian economic and security assistance, country’s President Mohamed Muizzu has called India “closest ally” in an effort to earn debt relief on some of the $4 billion it owes to New Delhi.

Muizzu is keen that India should reschedule some of the loans. In an interview to a local media house, he said:

“It is not nice to dismiss or disregard aid from one country to another as useless” while stating differences over stationing of military personnel was the “only matter of discord” with India. Muizzu put the blame on previous governments for having taken “hefty loans” due to which “the conditions we have inherited are such that there are very large loans taken from India. Hence, we are holding discussions to explore leniencies in the repayment of these loans”.

“Instead of halting any ongoing projects... to proceed with them at speed, so I see no reason for any adverse effects (on Maldives-India relations),” he added. The Maldives President also revealed he informed PM Modi during their first meeting late last year that Male did not intend to halt any ongoing project. However, Turkey and Maldives held a meeting on a free trade agreement on March 20 while Chinese ‘research’ ships are allowed to dock.

Muizzu’s demand comes five days after the third meeting of the India-Maldives core group that was told about the replacement of some Indian military personnel.

The first batch of Indian military personnel has already left the island nation. Muizzu had asked all 88 military personnel to leave by May 10. In his interview, Muizzu said India was instrumental in providing aid to the country and had implemented “greatest number” of projects.

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