Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has said that Maldives’ ties with countries cannot be at the expense of its relationship with India.
Times Now News cited Nasheedsaying this in his statement at an annual conference organized by an India think tank.
“India is just a few miles away from our northernmost islands. We read the same books, watch the same films, eat the same food and listen to the same music and we are the same people. And also because of geography, we are right next to India. So everyone must understand that our relationship with someone else cannot be at the expense of our relationship with India.”Nasheed
The former President also said that there will be more stability in the Indian Ocean region after China understands that the ties between Maldives and India will remain unchanged.
Regarding China’s loans to Maldives, Nasheed said that, in terms of contributions, much of it was commercial loans done through state-owned companies which were priced very high.
He also said that Maldives owes USD 3.4 billion to various Chinese companies and that the island nation will have to set aside 15 percent of its budget by 2020 to pay it off, adding that Maldives will renegotiate he payment structure with China.
