Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that the continuity of the BJP government in India "is a source of comfort."
Nasheed said this in an interview with an Indian journalist on Saturday, after the re-election victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the interview, Nasheed said that PM Modi has captured an excellent victory in the elections and now has a fresh mandate, which is a great source of happiness for Maldivians.
Highlighting the two neighboring country’s long relationship, Nasheed said that the Indian government had supported his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) during a challenging presidential election last September.
“Therefore, for us, the continuity of the BJP government is a source of comfort. Yes, we do understand whoever is in government in India is going to be amicably working with the people of the Maldives. But to get to have the continuity is, of course, refreshing and satisfying.”
Modi earlier thanked Nasheed and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for congratulating him on the election win and said that he is looking forward to working with them and that India-Maldives partnership rests on the shared vision of peace, development and prosperity of both countries and the region.
The decades-long relations with India soured during the previous administration but quickly improved after President Solih’s election win. Modi had visited the Maldives for the first time since assuming office to join President Solih’s inauguration last November.
Reports also indicate that Modi will be visiting Maldives in early June.
