New Delhi: The primary assembly of the India-Maldives Excessive Degree Core Group befell in Male on Sunday. The assembly got here shut on the heels of Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu reiterating his name for India to withdraw its troops from the island nation.
In the course of the high-level meet, each the edges held discussions on a variety of points associated to bilateral cooperation in the direction of figuring out steps to reinforce the partnership, together with expediting the implementation of ongoing improvement cooperation initiatives, the Ministry of Exterior Affairs stated.
“Either side additionally held discussions on discovering mutually workable resolution to allow continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that present humanitarian and medvac companies to the folks of Maldives,” MEA stated in an announcement.
The core group additionally agreed to carry the subsequent assembly in India on a mutually handy date.
The assembly in Maldivian capital on Sunday befell within the backdrop of the diplomatic row and social media fury over derogatory social media posts by some junior ministers and authorities officers within the island nation towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The posts, which made belittling references to PM Modi and Indian seashore tourism, stoked on-line outrage and triggered a name to boycott Maldives as a vacation vacation spot.
Notably, PM Modi had proposed the core group throughout his one-on-one assembly with Maldivian President on the sidelines of COP 28 in Dubai final yr.
Earlier this week, President Muizzu undertook his first state go to to China since he got here to energy. Throughout his go to, China and Maldives inked 20 pacts and chalked out plans to determine China-Maldives Complete Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2024-2028). This important transfer got here as an entire reversal of the ‘India First’ coverage that was adopted by Muizzu’s predecessor former President Ibrahim Solih.
Chinese language President Xi Jinping additionally congratulated President Muizzu on his victory within the September elections and stated his go to to China “would mark the start of a brand new chapter in bilateral relations between China and the Maldives.”