Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer on Monday praised the Indian government for extending the budget support of $50 million to the island nation. The support gains significance as the bilateral relations between India-Maldives remain tense since pro-China leader Mohammed Muizzu assumed the president's office.
"I thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of #India for extending vital budgetary support to the Maldives with the rollover of USD 50 million Treasury Bill. This is a true gesture of goodwill which signifies the longstanding friendship between #Maldives and #India," Zameer wrote on X. The foreign minister was on a visit to India from May 8 to 10.
India's budgetary support was in the form of a rollover of a $50 million Treasury Bill, for an additional year, through the State Bank of India, Male.
India's gesture was highly appreciated by the Maldives government.
"Large number of infrastructural developmental projects and High Impact Community Developmental projects are underway with the assistance from the Government of India, which consists of a notable part as grant assistance," said the Muizzu government in a statement.
"The Government of Maldives looks forward to continuing this collaborative partnership for the mutual benefit and prosperity of their people," it added.
India-Maldives relations have been tense since Muizzu became the president in November. Maldives had asked India to withdraw some 89 Indian military personnel from the country by May 10. Though the Indian military personnel was withdrawed, Maldives government is not planning to leave Indian doctors working in the country.
Zameer on Saturday had said that the 76 Indian military personnel were replaced by civilian employees of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited which manufactured the two helicopters gifted by India, thus also ending the suspense over the exact number of those repatriated at the insistence of Male.
(With PTI inputs)
