A Change in the Maldives

India – Maldives Historical relations

  • India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity and enjoy close, cordial and multi-dimensional relations.
  • India was among the first to recognise Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
  • India and Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, which provides for export of essential commodities.
  • Operation Cactus 1988, India sent 1600 soldiers to protect Male from the imminent invasion by LTTE guerrillas.
  • After the tsunami that struck Maldives on the morning of 26 December 2004, India was the first country to rush relief and aid to Maldives.
  • The India Cultural Centre (ICC) in Male was inaugurated in July 2011, which conducts courses in yoga, classical music and dance.
  • India has earlier extended financial assistance for development projects in Maldives.

Importance of Maldives:

  • The strategic location of Maldives in South Indian Ocean is important for the India’s security preparedness.
  • The Maldives, long a popular tourist destination, has grown in strategic importance in recent years as China and India to establish their influence in the region and as Beijing pushes ahead with its global trade and infrastructure plan.
  • Spread over nearly 1,200 islands spanning more than 90,000 sq km, key shipping lanes where Beijing and New Delhi compete to pursue their often-conflicting maritime strategies pass through this tiny Indian Ocean nation.
  • Though small, the Maldives is India’s important neighbour. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Maldives “a valued partner in the Indian Ocean neighbourhood”.
  • India-Maldives “ties are built on a very strong foundation” the contours of which are defined by shared strategic, security, economic and developmental goals.
  • However, the bilateral ties are not without irritants, which can be seen in two broad areas: political and strategic.

Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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