BackMaldives seeks to improve India ties
Maldives seeks to improve India ties
PremiumPrime Minister Manmohan Singh
Describing India as a special friend that the Maldives can depend on, President Mohammed Waheed sought continued good relations with India, seeking investments in tourism and information technology.
Reaching out to India, the Maldives’ biggest neighbour in the Indian Ocean and a regional power, Waheed said he assured the government of “their continued good relationship with India. From the Maldives side, we will respect all our agreements and understanding that we have between the two countries".
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Mohammed Waheed says he’s committed to democracy and that India has nothing to worry about from his government.
Waheed “expressed appreciation for the $40 million line of credit for construction of 500 housing units" extended last year during Singh’s visit to the Maldives in November—a sign that India was fulfilling the commitments it had made to Nasheed’s administration, according to a joint statement. Waheed also “conveyed appreciation for the release of an instalment of $20 million from the standby credit facility from India in February 2012 as well as the rollover of the $50 million SBI treasury bonds by a year," the statement said.
India was one of the first countries to recognize Waheed’s government in February after the resignation of the then president Nasheed, who came to power in elections in 2008 at the end of the three-decade-old rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. A day after quitting as president, Nasheed alleged he had been forced to quit “almost at gunpoint" in a coup and took to the streets of capital Male demanding early elections—ahead of scheduled polls in November next year.
On Monday, Waheed said he had been able to convince India about how the transfer of power had happened. “I appreciate the government of India’s patience and understanding with our country," Waheed said.
elizabeth.r@livemint.com
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