India, Maldives to set up core group to further deepen ties as PM Modi meets new Maldivian President Muizzu

India and the Maldives on Friday agreed to set up a core group to further deepen their partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a “productive” meeting with newly-elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu

India and the Maldives on Friday agreed to set up a core group to further deepen their partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a “productive” meeting with newly-elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on the sidelines of the UN’s COP 28 climate summit.

"President @MMuizzu and I had a productive meeting today. We discussed ways to enhance the India-Maldives friendship across diverse sectors. We look forward to working together to deepen cooperation for the benefit of our people,” the PM tweeted after the meeting, his first with Mr. Muizzu.

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According to the Prime Minister's Office, the two leaders discussed ways to further bolster India-Maldives relations in sectors pertaining to economic relations, development cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

A close associate of former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, who had forged close ties with China during his 2013 to 2018 tenure in office, Mr. Muizzu, 45, defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September. On Friday, Mr. Modi personally congratulated Mr. Muizzu on his assumption of office as the President of the Maldives.

"Both leaders reviewed the wide-ranging bilateral relations between the two countries including people-to-people linkages, development cooperation, economic relations, climate change and sports,” theMinistry of External Affairs said in a statement. “The two leaders also discussed ways to further deepen their partnership. In this regard, they agreed to set up a core group,” it added.

The meeting took place days after Mr. Muizzu requested New Delhi to withdraw 77 Indian military personnel from the Maldives, and decided to review more than 100 bilateral agreements between the two countries. The request came during Union Minister Kiren Rejiju’s courtesy visit to the new Maldivian president’s office on November 18.