PM Modi is invited by the Maldives to President-elect Muizzu’s oath-taking ceremony

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that while the Maldives has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in of Maldivian President-elect Mohamed Muizzu, New Delhi has not yet decided how much of a presence it would have at the event. Muizzu, who is widely seen as a pro-China politician, will take office as president of the Maldives on November 17.

“We have been invited to the prime minister’s (oath-taking ceremony) presence.” MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Once we decide who will represent us and in what capacity, I will let you know.” “As of now, we do not have any further information to share on that,” he said.

Days after Muizzu said that evacuating Indian military forces from the island country was one of his top goals, India announced last month that it looked forward to working “constructively” with his future government. In September, Muizzu was victorious against President Ibrahim Solih in the presidential runoff.

One of India’s principal maritime neighbors in the Indian Ocean region is the Maldives, and the two countries’ overall bilateral ties—including those pertaining to security and defense—have been strengthening recently. “India First” strategy and strengthening connections with India were Solih’s constant priorities.

When Rajnath Singh, the minister of defense, visited the Maldives in May, he gave the island country a landing craft and a swift patrol boat. The Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), which is supported by India and is regarded as the greatest infrastructure project in the Maldives, was launched in August of last year by Modi and Solih.

As part of the GMCP, the Maldives’ capital, Male, will be connected to the nearby islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi via a 6.74-kilometer bridge and causeway connection.