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1. A Brief History of India Maldives Relations
- India established formal diplomatic relations with Maldives after the independence of Maldives from the British rule in 1966
- India and Maldives officially settled their maritime boundary in 1976
- Both the countries signed a trade agreement in 1981
- Operation Cactus was India’s military aid of 1600 soldiers to Maldives to fight the armed attack of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the year in 1988
- India has provided liberal economic aid and cooperated with Maldives for improving its Infrastructure
2. Contemporary Relations
2.1 Areas of Cooperation
- India shares a very close and cordial relationship with Maldives. The year 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries
- Economic ties are very strong which includes the Indian Government’s provision of development assistance, low interest credit and essential commodities to Maldives
- India regularly involves in high level visits with Maldives Government
- India helped Maldivian students during Ukraine crisis to return to their home through its evacuation operation
- India provided bottled water through its helicopters to Maldives when its only water treatment plant collapsed
- India shares very close military ties with Maldives by having two helicopter bases, integration of radars and Indian COast Guard surveillance along Maldivian coast
- India also aims to remain as a net security provider to Maldives
2.2 Areas of Contention
GMR issue:
What was the Issue?
Political crisis in Maldives
The Ex-president of Maldives Mohammed Nasheed was arrested and manhandled on account of terror charges in 2015. India expressed its concerns over this arrest
China’s Growing Presence in Maldives
- There has been reports in the news that China is looking to create a military base in Maldives which has been consistently denied by both China and Maldives
- Maldives is a part of China’s Silk Road project
- China is also providing assistance in many infrastructure projects in Maldives
Reference
- Wikipedia
- The Hindu