Jaishankar holds talks with Maldivian counterpart amid diplomatic row
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer on Thursday, amid the diplomatic row between the two countries. The two leaders had a "frank conversation" on ties between their nations, Jaishankar posted on X (formerly Twitter). Jaishankar and Zameer met in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, before the two-day Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit starting on Friday.
Why does this story matter?
The meeting comes amid a diplomatic row between the two countries over derogatory comments made by some Maldivian politicians against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he shared pictures of his recent visit to Lakshadweep. The controversy began after now-suspended deputy minister Mariyam Shiuna called Modi a "clown" and a "puppet of Israel" in a series of now-deleted tweets. India flagged its concern with the Maldives government, after which three ministers were suspended.
Had a 'frank conversation' on ties: Jaishankar
Sharing a photograph of the meeting on X, Jaishankar said he had "a frank conversation" on India-Maldives ties with Zameer. The two ministers also discussed "NAM-related matters," he said. The Maldivian foreign minister also shared a photograph from the bilateral meeting on X. He said that the two leaders exchanged views on the ongoing high-level discussions on withdrawing Indian military personnel. They also discussed expediting the completion of ongoing development projects in the Maldives.
Read Moosa Zameer's statement on the bilateral meeting here
Maldives set deadline for withdrawal of Indian troops
Earlier this month, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu set a deadline for March 15 for India to remove all its military personnel from the island nation. A high-level group has been formed between the two countries to discuss the withdrawal of Indian troops. As of now, there are approximately 88 Indian troops stationed in Maldives, operating New Delhi-sponsored radars and surveillance aircraft.
India's participation in 19th NAM Summit
Jaishankar arrived in Kampala to lead the Indian delegation at the two-day 19th NAM summit. Uganda is hosting the summit this year, with the theme "Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Prosperity." Over 120 developing nations are participating in the summit. As a founding member of NAM, New Delhi remains dedicated to the movement's principles and values, said a Ministry of External Affairs release. Jaishankar will also meet with Ugandan leaders and counterparts from NAM member states during his visit.
What did Jaishankar say on India-Maldives row earlier
Amid the India-Maldives row, the Indian EAM on Monday noted that "politics is politics," and there are no guarantees that every nation will always back New Delhi. At the "Manthan" townhall meeting in Maharashtra's Nagpur, Jaishankar said, "Politics may go up and down, but the people of that nation generally have good feelings towards India and understand the importance of having good relations."
