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Male: Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is on a 3-day visit to Maldives. He held intensive talks with Maldives Foreign Minister Mrisa Zameer. India was given top priority in the most important social development programs and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also made for this.
Jaishankar told Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Neighbour First policy is very important for Maldives.
It is noteworthy that this archipelago located in the middle of the Indian Ocean is of great strategic importance. China is trying its best to gain a foothold there. Therefore, India's first goal is to remove China's influence.
Jaishankar signed several important MoUs with the Foreign Minister of Maldives. He also did it. In this…
(1) There are six high impact projects. These include street lighting, mental health, children's speech therapy and special education programmes. The issue of education is very important among them. It is about providing education to children from an early age similar to the Indian education system. As a result, the new generation of Maldivians is likely to be pro-India.
(2) The two Foreign Ministers were present when officials of the National Payments Corporation of India and the Ministry of Finance of Maldives signed the Memorandum of Understanding for launching digital payment system in Maldives.
(3) Virtual inauguration of systems for provision of drinking water facilities in 28 islands of Maldives and its UAE system.
(4) The two Foreign Ministers also visited the Addu Tecklamation Project and the Addu Detor Link Bridge.
It is worth noting that President Muizzu won the presidential election by defeating pro-India former President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih due to his anti-India policy. Mohammed Muizzu was completely pro-China. He also visited Beijing immediately after the swearing-in ceremony. But the anti-India sentiment took a toll on him. He ordered the Indian troops deployed to protect the ports and airports of Maldives to leave the Maldives. But later there was no one to repair his own planes and helicopters. Ultimately technicians had to be called from India.
It is noteworthy that at the time of the tsunami, the sea level was only four feet high and the water of the Indian Ocean rose on these islands and it was almost impossible to eat. But when there was no drinking water, India sent steamers full of potatoes, onions, flour, other vegetables and lakhs of bottles of drinking water. Forgetting all those favors, Muizzu turned to China, but China's bullying of its neighboring countries has also caused tension in the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. This must not have escaped Muizzu's eyes. Therefore, his pro-China policy is likely to backfire. Despite differences, he was invited to Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony and given VVIP status. Looking at the treatment, his pro-China policy is coming to an end. Jaishankar is likely to back down from China's policy of tightening the noose around its neighbors. This three-day visit of Jaishankar is becoming very important for India.
It is well known that India is the mainstay of Maldives for all food items including poultry, duck etc. Medicines come from India. Tourism is its main industry and 70% of its income is based on tourism. 70% of its tourists are Indians.