It would be better for India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy if Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the Maldives, says the Ambassador to India.

Ambassador Ahmed Mohamed made this comment in an interview with Indian news outlet The Tribune.

On being questioned on the Indian PM visiting every neighboring country except Maldives, Ambassador Mohamed responded that the country would welcome Modi anytime he wishes to visit.

He denied speculation that India was uncomfortable with the Maldives government’s treatment of its opposition, and the arrest of Former President Mohamed Nasheed – the leader of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Ambassador Mohamed said government officials were not told that Modi cancelled his visit because of the arrest, but that it “would have been better for the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy if PM Modi had visited us.”

The Ambassador was also asked why three local councilors of the Opposition had been suspended for meeting Indian Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra.

He said the meeting took place after the Local Government Authority (LGA) issued a notice to its councilors that if they met diplomats, they should seek the Ministry of Home Affairs approval. But the suspended councilors have denied this.

He also said that some requests made to India during President Abdulla Yameen’s 2014 visit has been neglected, and that “there are requests for which we need speedier processing.”

Regarding the Maldives-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), he denied that Maldives made any promise to sign an FTA with India first, but said that President Yameen has expressed his wish to sign an FTA with India. He also said that Maldives signed the agreement with China with India’s knowledge.

The interview comes at a time of strained relations between Maldives and India.