Don’t see a bigger role for China in Maldives, India First policy must remain: Speaker

Former President of the Maldives and current Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has stated there is no bigger role for China in the Maldives and that the country’s “India First” policy must remain the foreign policy of the Maldives.

The Majlis Speaker made these remarks during an interview with Daily Mirror during his visit to neighboring Sri Lanka, when questioned if he perceives a bigger role for China in the Maldives.

Responding to a question regarding his stand on the opposition coalition’s “India Out!” campaign, the Maldives speaker stated that he believes the “India Out!” sentiment is “very misguided” and “very unpopular”.

As such, he described the anti-Indian sentiment whipped up by former president and opposition leader Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom “for whatever reason”, a “xenophobic”, “nationalistic” inclination.

However, Nasheed believes that people are “not buying it” and does not believe there will be much support for any movement inciting hatred against India or any country for that matter.

Nasheed went on to assert that ex-president Yameen, “must stop it”.

With this being said, the parliament speaker noted that this will be the policy his party and main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will “always” pursue, as they have for the last three to four years.

Nasheed remains confident that the country’s “India First” will continue to remain the foreign policy of the Maldives in the future as well.

The relationship between Maldives and India had soured particularly during the previous administration of the now opposition leader, who had a particularly keen interest to sustain ties with China. The opposition stays true to color today, staging protests across the Maldives, voicing against the reviving bonds between the governments of Maldives and India since the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took effect.

The government continues to keep its stand regarding the matter as well, asserting that India has always been the Maldives’ closest ally and trusted neighbor and claiming that the false information alleging that bilateral cooperation between Maldives and India undermines the country’s sovereignty and national security, are misguided and unsubstantiated.

India has one of the first-responders in times of crisis, for decades, some instances include the 1988 mercenary attack, the Indian-Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the capital city water crisis of 2015 as well as the countless support during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Maldives also has partnerships with other countries in similar areas of cooperation, with an aim to boost technical and strategic capacities.