Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu arrives in India for first bilateral visit
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Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, along with First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for his first official bilateral visit to India.
During the visit, President Muizzu is set to meet with Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other senior officials to discuss the strengthening of ties between the two nations.
The Maldivian leader and his delegation were welcomed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kiriti Vardhan Singh, marking the start of Muizzu's visit, which will last from October 6 to 10.
The visit comes at the official invitation of President Murmu, following Muizzu's recent remarks at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he emphasized the importance of the "very strong" bilateral relationship between India and the Maldives.
He had expressed his intention to visit India at the earliest opportunity.
This is Muizzu's second trip to India this year, as he previously attended Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony in June.
However, Muizzu had previously shifted from the longstanding convention, where Maldivian Presidents made India their first foreign visit. Instead, after taking office, Muizzu visited Turkiye and China before India.
Muizzu’s government has taken some unconventional steps that impacted India-Maldives relations, notably running his presidential campaign on an 'India Out' platform, with a strong stance on removing Indian troops stationed in the Maldives.
However, in recent months, Muizzu has taken a more conciliatory approach, acknowledging India as one of the Maldives' closest allies and expressing gratitude for the financial assistance provided by New Delhi.