Sunday, May 19

“Please Be Part Of Our Tourism”: Maldives To Indians Ahead Of Foreign Minister’s Visit

Edited by Aishwarya Krishnan
"Please Be Part Of Our Tourism": Maldives To Indians Ahead Of Foreign Minister’s Visit (image: Pixabay)

Amid the ongoing conflict between India and Maldives, the archipelago nation’s tourism minister, Ibrahim Faisal, urged Indians to be part of the country’s tourism as its economy is dependent on it. The minister also added that the newly elected government wants to work with India.

In a recent interview, the Maldivian tourism minister emphasised the historical relationship shared by the two countries. “We have a history. Our newly elected government also wants to work together. We always promote peace and a friendly environment. Our people and the government will give a warm welcome to Indian arrivals. As the tourism minister, I want to tell Indians to please be a part of Maldives’ tourism. Our economy depends on tourism,” Faisal said in a PTI interview.

Notably, Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer will be visiting India from May 8 to 10 to speed up bilateral cooperation. Since President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in November, the relationship between India and the Maldives has been strained.

As per reports, Zameer will hold discussions on regional issues with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, focusing on “deepening and expanding the longstanding partnership between Maldives and India,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. This will be the foreign minister’s first visit to the country since assuming office.

Following the “derogatory remarks” made by three Maldivian officials against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his visit to Lakshadweep on January 2, the Maldives government suspended the officials and stated that the remarks did not represent the views of the government. Several Indian celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, and Sachin Tendulkar, took to social media to promote Indian islands like Lakshadweep amid the row.

The incident led to a significant shift in the island nation’s tourist demographics, with a substantial drop in Indian visitors. Previously in the third position, the number of Indian tourists dipped to the fifth position.

Following the order of Maldivian President Muizzu, known for his pro-China stance, India began withdrawing all military personnel from the island nation. After discussions, both countries reached an agreement to complete the withdrawal of Indian troops and their support staff by May 10.