Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend Independence Day celebrations in the Maldives during his upcoming visit.
Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu invited Modi to visit Male’ during his visit to New Delhi last year. He reiterated this invite through Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel during his visit to India in May.
Back in June, the Times of India said that New Delhi was considering the invitation favorably, and that one of the dates being considered for Modi’s visit was over Maldives’ Independence Day holiday.
According to credible sources, Modi will arrive in Male’ on July 25, and leave on July 26.
He will also attend official celebrations on July 26 as Maldives celebrates its 60th Independence Day.
Elected to office on a pledge to expel Indian troops from the Maldives, relations between Male’ and New Delhi had been strained in the early days of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration.
Things escalated further three months into office when three deputy ministers made disparaging remarks regarding India and Indian Prime Minister Modi following a social media post promoting India’s Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
Speaking to reporters after concluding a state visit to China the same month, President Muizzu said that Maldives wasn’t any country’s backyard and that the country cannot be bullied just because its small – remarks that were widely believed to be directed at India.
But despite the earlier turmoil, officials from both Male’ and Delhi repeatedly expressed keenness to repairing relations, and engaged in several high-level visits, including two by President Muizzu himself.
Assistance by New Delhi, including a USD 400 million currency swap agreement signed between the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) back in October 2024 has also been crucial boosting Maldives’ foreign exchange (FX) reserves, thereby alleviating imminent external liquidity strains.
The upcoming visit by Modi, which will mark his first during the incumbent administration, is expected to cement the ties between Male’ and New Delhi.