Prime Minister Narendra Modi was warmly received by Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu with a hug at Velana International Airport on Friday morning, as he began a two-day state visit to the Maldives.
Foreign Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, and other senior officials were also present to greet Modi at the airport. The visit—Modi’s third and the first by a head of state to the island nation during President Muizzu’s tenure—comes amid efforts by both countries to reset ties following a period of diplomatic strain.
Later in the day, a formal ceremonial welcome was held at Republic Square, where students from Aminiya School presented a cultural performance, followed by a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour from the Maldives National Defence Force.
He was also presented with the traditional ‘Haiykolhu,’ a traditional Maldivian gesture of hospitality and honour by the MDNF, before being escorted to the President’s Office for bilateral talks.
The two sides signed eight agreements during the visit, including a new line of credit and cooperation across several sectors.
These include:
- A negotiation framework to begin talks on an India-Maldives Free Trade Agreement (IMFTA).
- An umbrella line of credit of USD 565 million for infrastructure development, extended through India’s Exim Bank.
- An MoU on easing repayment obligations of existing Indian credit lines.
- An MoU on fisheries and aquaculture cooperation.
- An agreement on the supply of medicines meeting standards set by India’s Pharmacopoeia Commission.
- An MoU on climate and environmental monitoring collaboration.
- An MoU on digital cooperation.
- A network-to-network agreement between India’s NPCI International and the Maldives Monetary Authority to launch India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system in the Maldives.
During the joint press statement following the talks, President Muizzu stressed the importance of India to the Maldivian tourism sector. He stated that both sides had discussed increasing direct flights to boost tourist arrivals from India.
Indians topped the list of visitors to the Maldives between 2020 and 2023, but dropped to sixth place after Muizzu was elected President in November 2023 on an “India out” campaign.
In a social media post earlier this week, Modi said he was honoured to participate in the Independence Day celebrations, and noted that 2025 also marks the 60th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Relations between India and the Maldives were strained in the early part of President Muizzu’s term, particularly after remarks made by Maldivian officials and a subsequent backlash over tourism.
However, both sides have since engaged in high-level dialogue to improve ties, including two visits to India by President Muizzu.
