The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the opening of a new Consulate General of India in Addu City, Maldives in 2021.
Maldives occupies an important place in the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and the ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision of the Government of India. Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is India’s policy or doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
The establishment of a Consulate General in Addu City would contribute to the expansion of India’s diplomatic presence in the Maldives, bringing it in line with the current and aspired level of engagement.
This is also a step forward in achieving the national priority of growth and development or ‘SabkaSaathSabka Vikas’. India’s diplomatic presence in the Maldives will provide market access for Indian companies and will also bolster Indian exports of goods and services. This would have a direct impact on increasing domestic production and employment in line with the goal of a self-reliant India or ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
India‐Maldives Relations
India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious, and commercial links steeped in antiquity. After the Maldives gained independence in 1965, India was one of the first countries to recognise the country and establish diplomatic relations with it.
Bilateral relations
The momentum and energy in the bilateral relationship have reached unprecedented levels under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Both nations signed a trade agreement in 1981, which provides for the export of essential commodities.
India is the 4th largest trade partner of Maldives after UAE, China and Singapore. Indian imports from the Maldives primarily comprise scrap metals while Indian exports to the Maldives include a variety of engineering and industrial products like drugs and medicines radar apparatus, rock boulders, cement and agriculture products like rice, fruits, vegetables, spices and poultry produce etc.
Defence Cooperation
Defence and security cooperation has been a significant field of cooperation between both nations since 1988. India has been assisting the Maldives by providing defence training and equipment. The Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) receives the most training opportunities from India, which meets roughly 70% of their defence training needs.
A comprehensive Action Plan for Defence was also signed in April 2016 for a strong partnership.
Tourism
The Maldives’ economy is highly reliant on tourism, which is the country’s primary source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenue. In 2018, India was the Maldives’ fifth-largest source of tourist arrivals. India accounted for 6.1% (over 90,474) of the total 14,84,274 visitors.
Covid related Assistance
Maldives has been the biggest beneficiary of COVID relief. The country got the 1,00,000 doses of Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India -Covishield as a gift from India. As part of GoI’s efforts to help friendly countries in tackling the Covid‐19 threat, a special IAF plane airlifted 6.2 tonnes of essential medical supplies to the Maldives on 2 April 2020.
A 14-member AFMS( Armed Forces Medical Services) Rapid Response Medical team, which included anaesthetist, pulmonologist, cardiac surgeon, public health care professional, nurses, lab technicians, and others, were deployed in the Maldives to advise and educate Maldivian authorities and staff in tackling the Corona threat.
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