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Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a four-day state visit, has assured that his country would never do anything that undermines the security of India.
"Maldives would never do anything that undermines the security of India. India is a valued partner and friend of the Maldives, and our relationship is built on mutual respect and shared interests. While we enhance our cooperation with other countries in various sectors, we remain committed to ensuring that our actions don't compromise the security and stability of our region," he told The Times of India in an interview.
The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November.
Muizzu won the presidential election last year on the 'India out' campaign and asked New Delhi to withdraw its military personnel posted in the archipelago nation by May this year.
When asked about his decision on Indian troops withdrawal, Muizzu said he was addressing what he called domestic priorities.
"Maldives and India now have a better understanding of each other's priorities and concerns. What I did is what the people of Maldives asked of me. The recent changes reflect our efforts to address domestic priorities. Our review of past agreements is aimed at ensuring they align with our national interests and contribute positively to regional stability," he said.
Muizzu on Monday met President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Later in the day, Muizzu will hold discussions with Modi on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The current visit by Muizzu to Delhi is his second since he attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony in June.
The bilateral ties also hit a rocky patch when Maldivian ministers were critical of Modi. However, Muizzu has since toned down his anti-India stance and even sacked ministers who were critical of the Indian prime minister.
As the Maldives was grappling with a serious economic downturn, India has decided to extend vital budgetary support to the Maldives government with the rollover of a USD 50 million Treasury Bill for another year.
In view of the rising external debt, high debt to GDP ratio and falling foreign exchange reserves, credit rating agencies Moody's and Fitch have both downgraded the Maldives in recent weeks.