In a significant diplomatic maneuver, India has chosen to delegate Union Minister for Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, as its envoy to the upcoming inauguration of Maldives’ President-elect, Mohamed Muizzu. This decision arrives amidst a period of diplomatic turbulence between New Delhi and Male, driven primarily by Muizzu’s campaign promise to reverse the ‘India First’ policy and remove Indian military personnel from the Maldives.
The Ministry of External Affairs in India has issued a statement elucidating Kiren Rijiju’s forthcoming visit to the Maldives. The statement disclosed, “At the invitation of the President-elect of Maldives H.E. Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Earth Sciences will embark on a visit to the Maldives from November 16-18, 2023, to represent India at the inaugural ceremony of the presidency.”
Highlighting the strategic importance of Maldives in India’s foreign policy, the MEA emphasized, “Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a special place in Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy.’ This high-level ministerial representation from India at the inaugural ceremony underscores India’s commitment to further deepen substantive cooperation and foster robust people-to-people ties between the two countries.”
It is pertinent to note that President-elect Muizzu had extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the inauguration in Male. However, India’s decision to send Minister Rijiju marks a departure from the event in November 2018 when PM Modi personally graced the swearing-in ceremony of Muizzu’s predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Moreover, the shifting dynamics in India-Maldives relations can be traced back to Muizzu’s presidential campaign, during which he staunchly opposed the ‘India First’ policy, signaling a significant shift in the Maldives’ foreign policy stance. He made a firm commitment to initiate the process of removing Indian military personnel from the Maldives immediately upon assuming office.
Delving into the historical context, a discernible pattern emerges in India’s participation in Maldivian presidential inaugurations. In November 2008, India was represented by then-Vice President M. Hamid Ansari when Mohammed Nasheed assumed the presidency. However, in November 2013, there was no Indian delegation present at the swearing-in ceremony of Nasheed’s successor, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. Yameen’s presidency witnessed a close alignment with China, leading to strains in relations with India. His administration awarded contracts to China’s state-owned companies for various infrastructure projects, often sidelining India’s security interests.
The diplomatic landscape saw a reset in November 2018 when Solih, along with former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, led the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to victory. This marked a return to the ‘India First’ policy and a substantial improvement in relations between India and the Maldives.
