Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in the Maldives for a two-day visit to the country after concluding his UK visit.
Significantly, Modi was welcomed by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu at the airport at a time when the two countries have come closer in a bid to recover strained bilateral ties.
Chants of “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” were heard as the Indian Prime Minister arrived.
He also received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora.
Diplomatic tension between the countries had brewed over the changing strategic alignment in the Indian Ocean region after pro-China Mohamed Muizzu became the President of the Maldives in 2023.
Muizzu had demanded the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives, leading New Delhi to cautiously deal with the tiff.
A social media conflict between the two nations began after Prime Minister Modi travelled to Lakshadweep and shared some photos on the beach — a move widely viewed as a promotion of the union territory as a travel destination, seen as an alternative to the Maldives, which has remained a favourite spot for Bollywood celebrities.
A widespread call to boycott Maldivian tourism grew in backlash when the Prime Minister’s Lakshadweep photos were mocked in Malé.
Over time, India withdrew its troops from the Maldives.
In an interesting turn of events, Maldives tourism named Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif as its global brand ambassador, signalling a normalisation of bilateral ties.
