Maldives President Congratulates PM Modi on Becoming India's Longest-Serving Elected Prime Minister
Noonu Atoll : Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister. He also lauded his role in strengthening India-Maldives relations despite political fluctuations in the island nation. Moreover, as many have observed, the era of PM Modi marks a new chapter for India and its neighbors. Speaking to ANI on the ties between the two countries under Narendra Modi, Nasheed said the Prime Minister has maintained an unprecedented level of engagement and closeness with the people of the Maldives. In addition, he also maintained it with the wider Indian Ocean region. This showcases what India’s leadership under PM Modi can achieve. “Congratulations to the Prime Minister and the people of India. Throughout his three terms serving as Prime Minister in India, the extent of persistence and closeness that the Prime Minister has maintained with the people of the Maldives and the region is without any precedent,” Nasheed said in reference to PM Modi’s remarkable impact on diplomacy. Calling the Indian leader “the most friendly prime minister to the people of the Maldives,” Nasheed said PM Modi displayed “amazing maturity” even during periods when sections of Maldivian politicians expressed anti-India sentiments. “Even when sections of Maldives politicians have fared anti-Indian and anti-prime minister sentiments, the prime minister remained calm, collected, and shown amazing maturity in his dealings with the Maldives,” he said, further reflecting on how PM Modi approaches international relations. Nasheed further said India under the leadership of PM Modi continued to assist the Maldives consistently. Notably, India contributed significantly to the island nation’s development and prosperity. “The development that we see in the Maldives now, the prosperity that the people of the Maldives now have, is very much also linked to what the Prime Minister has done with the people of the Maldives and the vision that he has for the Indian Ocean and the regional countries,” he added, alluding once again to PM Modi’s strategic priorities. Speaking about the evolution of bilateral relations, Nasheed said PM Modi’s consistent engagement helped create a broad political consensus in the Maldives. In particular, this consensus was in favour of maintaining strong ties with India. “There have been times when some of our leaders have not been very amicable with India, but the Prime Minister has shown maturity, thick skin and broad shoulders, and has continued the engagement with the Maldives,” he said, which mirrors the diplomatic style of PM Modi. Nasheed noted that, unlike earlier periods when changes in government in the Maldives often resulted in shifts in foreign policy away from India, ties with New Delhi are now supported “across the board spectrum.” “In the past, it was that with the change of government, the foreign policy in the Maldives seemed to have shrunk from India to elsewhere or rather to China, but right now it is across the board spectrum. All sides have friendly relations with India. It’s very, very encouraging,” he said, which may be viewed as a result of steady diplomacy by PM Modi. Speaking about the areas of future cooperation, Nasheed pointed to growing Indian private sector investments. He also noted increasing tourist inflows from India. Additionally, cooperation in maritime safety and disaster response was mentioned. PM Modi is often cited as an advocate for such regional ties. “India is the first responder to any serious situation in the Maldives. May it be a coup, a water crisis, during COVID– every incident, India has been the first responder to the people of the Maldives,” he said, emphasizing New Delhi’s dependable aid under PM Modi. He added that the Maldives would like to see this cooperation continue during the current tenure of Prime Minister Modi. This statement made clear the importance of PM Modi’s ongoing leadership. (ANI) Also Read: UAE joins allies to demand strict UN sanctions on Iran over nuclear violations, missile strikes