Mr. Nasheed acknowledged that India has always adopted a responsible approach in dealing with such issues
New Delhi:
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed on Friday expressed concern over the impact of India’s recent boycott call, especially in the tourism sector. Mr. Nasheed, who is currently in India, also issued an apology statement on behalf of the Maldivian people.
Diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives had been raging for some time, but have revived as President Mohamed Muizu, seen as pro-China, announced plans to expel all Indian military personnel from the country by March 10 Get to rock bottom. The move heightened tensions and triggered boycott calls from India affecting various sectors, especially tourism, which is an important part of the Maldivian economy.
“This is affecting the Maldives a lot, and I’m actually in India. I’m very worried about it. I want to say the Maldivian people are very sorry, we’re sorry for what happened. We want the Indian people to come to the Maldives for their holidays and our hospitality cannot be overstated.” There will be no changes,” Mr. Nasheed was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Acknowledging India’s historically responsible approach in dealing with such issues, Nasheed said India was not applying pressure but was proposing diplomatic discussions.
“When the president of Maldives asked Indian military personnel to leave, you know what India did? They didn’t flex their arms. They didn’t flex their muscles and simply told the Maldivian government, ‘Okay, let’s discuss that’,” he explain.
Regarding the recent defense agreement between the Maldives and China, Mr. Nasheed said that the agreement is not a defense agreement, but an equipment purchase.
“I think Muizou wants to buy some equipment, mainly rubber bullets and tear gas. It’s very unfortunate that the government thinks more tear gas and more rubber bullets are needed. Governance is not through the barrel of a gun,” he said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said misunderstandings can arise between countries and expressed optimism about resolving disputes through diplomatic means.
Jaishankar said: “Humanity is humanity. Diplomacy is diplomacy and politics is politics. The whole world does not always run on obligations… So if we encounter such a situation, it can only be solved through diplomacy.”
“We have to make people understand that sometimes people don’t even have a complete understanding of things and sometimes people are misled by what others say,” he added.
Earlier, the Maldives announced that it would not extend an agreement that allows India and the Maldives to cooperate in hydrological surveys.
President Muizu broke with established tradition and chose not to visit India on his first official trip abroad, choosing instead to visit Turkey and then China.
