Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Thursday held talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Delhi on regional security issues and bilateral relations, as the two nations grapple with simmering diplomatic tensions.
Mr Zameer, who arrived in the Indian capital New Delhi late on Wednesday for a three-day tour, is the first senior official from the island nation to visit India, a traditional partner of the government in Male.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said: “The two leaders discussed development partnership and ongoing capacity building and training initiatives. India has been a first responder on numerous occasions for Maldives."
His visit comes amid simmering diplomatic tensions as the Maldives moves to strengthen ties with China, as well as the recent removal of an Indian military contingent from the strategic Indian Ocean archipelago.
While India has for decades considered Maldives, a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean known for blue waters, white sand beaches and luxury resorts, a strategic neighbour, relations between the countries have been strained since President Mohamed Muizzu was elected in November after a campaign marked by anti-India rhetoric.
He is known to be a pro-China politician and chose Beijing for his first foreign visit in January, breaking a tradition of Maldivian presidents making New Delhi their initial port of call.
Mr Jaishankar in his opening remarks said the development of the relationship between the “close and proximate neighbours” was based on “mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity”.
He reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to development assistance for Male.
“They range from infrastructure projects and social initiatives to medical evacuation and health facilities,” Mr Jaishankar told his Maldivian counterpart. "We have also extended financial support on favourable terms in the past … our co-operation has also enhanced the security and well-being of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training.
“We will be reviewing the various dimensions of our ties. It is in our common interest that we reach an understanding on how best we take our relationship forward."
Male has intensified its economic and strategic ties with Beijing in recent years, as the Asian powerhouse – which is the island nation’s largest external creditor with $1.3 billion, about 20 per cent of its total public debt – has invested in infrastructure projects, according to latest International Monetary Fund data.
Beijing and New Delhi are competing for influence in the region, particularly in the Indian Ocean, a key maritime route.
The Maldivian Foreign Ministry on Thursday said both ministers had acknowledged the “fruitful economic partnership” and the notable progress of projects enabled with the help of Indian grant assistance and line of credit initiatives.
Mr Zameer conveyed appreciation for India’s steadfast support in fostering and advancing economic, trade and investment ties between the two nations.
He also told an Indian wire agency that Mr Muizzu will “hopefully visit India very soon”.
Mr Zameer’s visit comes days after New Delhi withdrew its military personnel from the Maldives.
About 75 Indian troops were posted there in 2020 to patrol maritime boundaries and run an emergency air evacuation service for its people.
Mr Muizzu had set a deadline of May 10 for New Delhi to withdraw all of its troops, promising to remove “foreign military boots” from Maldivian soil if he came to power.
The military personnel have been replaced by technical staff.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
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2nd row
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3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
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Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
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7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
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The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
