The Maldives' Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer was expected in New Delhi on Wednesday for his maiden visit to India amid simmering diplomatic tensions over his country's moves to deepen ties with China.
Mr Zameer’s visit comes days after Indian military personnel left the Maldives at the government in Male's request.
India’s External Affairs Ministry said Mr Zameer would meet Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday to discuss bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
New Delhi expects the visit will give “momentum to the bilateral co-operation between the two countries”, it said.
India has for decades considered Maldives, a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean known for azure waters, white sand beaches and luxury resorts, a strategic neighbour. But relations have been strained since President Mohamed Muizzu, a pro-China politician, was elected in November after a campaign marked by anti-India rhetoric.
Male has deepened ties with Beijing in recent years as China and India vie for influence in the region, particularly in the Indian Ocean, a key maritime route.
China is the Maldives' largest external creditor, accounting for about 20 per cent of its total public debt. The country owes China about $1.3 billion, according to the latest International Monetary Fund data.
Mr Muizzu chose China for his first foreign visit in January, breaking a tradition of Maldivian presidents making New Delhi their first port of call.
He met Chinese President Xi Jinping and signed 20 agreements, including on military equipment and training.
A spokeswoman for Mr Muizzu told reporters in Male that 51 Indian military personnel had left by Monday, days before the President's May 10 deadline for New Delhi to withdraw all of its troops. He had promised to remove “foreign military boots” from Maldivian soil if he came to power.
About 75 Indian troops were posted to the Maldives in 2020 to patrol maritime boundaries and run an emergency air evacuation service for its people.
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Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
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Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
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To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
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- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
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Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
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Size: 300 employees
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