Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who is on India tour, accorded ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who is currently on a tour to India, was accorded a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.

Posting on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X: “A landmark State visit begins with a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour to President @MMuizzu of Maldives at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.”

Muizzu also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

Visiting Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday met Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, just a day before he is scheduled to meet PM Narendra Modi.

Muizzu, who is currently on a four-day tour to India, met Jaishankar just hours after he arrived in the country.

Jaishankar appreciated Muizzu’s commitment to enhancing the relationship between India and Maldives.

“Pleased to call on President @MMuizzu today at the start of his State Visit to India,” Jaishankar posted on X.

“Appreciate his commitment to enhance relationship. Confident that his talks with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties,” he said.

This is Muizzu’s first bilateral visit to India.

Earlier this year in June, he had visited the country to attend Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony after he was elected as the PM for the third straight term following his party Bharatiya Janata Party’s win in the Lok Sabha polls.

Considered a pro-China leader, Muizzu had changed the diplomatic trend of the archipelagic nation by first visiting China and Turkey after coming to power, unlike his predecessors who would fly to India on their first official overseas travel.

Before coming to power, Muizzu’s entire poll campaign was based on the ‘India Out’ slogan. The removal of Indian troops was also part of the campaign.

Diplomatic tensions between the two countries had reached a flashpoint last year over remarks made by some Maldives ministers against Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, to promote the Indian Union Territory having the potential to compete with tourism major Maldives.

Soon after being elected as the President of the nation, Muizzu directed the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the country, known as a popular travel destination for its picturesque beaches.

The withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives was completed this year.

Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a special place in Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, the MEA said.