New Delhi: Amid Maldives tilting towards China, top US officials held talks with newly-elected President Mohamed Muizzu in Male, after departing from India.
The Muizzu government has recently issued a number of policies directed at India, including pulling its troops out of the country. There have also been political churns with the Maldivian Opposition planning to impeach Muizzu just as parliamentary elections near on 17 March.
The delegation — led by US State Department’s Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu — will be in Maldives from 30-31 January.
On Tuesday morning, Lu met Muizzu in Male where they spoke on expanding cooperation in areas of trade, economic development, tourism and Indian Ocean Security, according to a statement from the Maldivian government.
Advancing the establishment of a permanent US Embassy space in Male will also be on the agenda.
The Biden administration has been stepping up engagement and presence in the Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of growing competition with China for diplomatic clout in the region. Last year, the US reopened its embassy in Seychelles — after a 27-year absence.
The Maldives and the US established diplomatic relations in 1966 but it was only in 2020 that Washington, under the Donald Trump administration, announced it would be setting up an embassy in the island country. Previously, the US would maintain diplomatic relations with Male through its ambassador in Sri Lanka. Last year, Maldives reopened its embassy in Washington D.C.
It was also in September 2020 that Male and Washington signed a military pact — the first such agreement that Maldives signed with a country other than India. At the time, New Delhi welcomed the development.
Analysts say despite its small size and population, Maldives is growing in geopolitical significance as evident by Lu’s visit.
“The purpose is to offer cooperation and assistance to Maldives in various domains of interest. It is also an indicator of US recognition of Male’s growing geopolitical significance. India should welcome the US move to open an Embassy in Maldives,” said Rajiv Bhatia, former ambassador, who also headed the division responsible for relations with the Maldives in the Ministry for External Affairs (MEA).
Muizzu, viewed as pro-China unlike his predecessor Ibrahim Solih, has issued various policy measures aimed at India after becoming president.
His government has given India 15 March as the deadline to remove its military personnel from the island nation and does not intend on renewing an agreement that allows New Delhi to conduct hydrographic surveys in Maldivian waters. Unlike his predecessors, Muizzu also picked China instead of India as the destination for his first foreign visit.
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US official & Muizzu discuss Gaza
According to a statement from the Maldives government, Muizzu and Lu discussed the Israel-Hamas war during which the Maldivian leader expressed hope for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The statement also mentioned that the US official commended “notable democratic actions” that Muizzu had made in his first few months in office.
The visit from the US delegation is significant as it also comes ahead of parliamentary elections in Maldives in March. This will be two days after the deadline given to the Indian troops to vacate the island country.
The US State Department is yet to issue a statement on the meeting.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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