Despite strained ties with the Maldives, the Indian government has approved the highest-ever export quota for essential commodities to the Maldives for 2024-25. Maldivian Foreign Minister (FM) Moosa Zameer thanked India for the move, which was undertaken at the Maldives’ request.
India Renews Export Quota
On Friday, the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives announced in a post on X that the government of India had allowed the export of certain quantities of essential commodities under a unique bilateral mechanism put in place in 1981. The quotas for each item have been revised upwards, with approved quantities being the highest since the bilateral trade agreement came into force.
#Maldives Thanks India For Approving Export Of Essential Commodities Amid Tension#Diplomacyhttps://t.co/x1Vms7zX56
— The Wire (@thewire_in) April 6, 2024
The Indian Commerce Ministry’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that the government will undertake the export of eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal, stone aggregate and river sand to the Maldives under the agreement. The export of these items will be exempt from any existing or future restriction/prohibition on export.
The quota for river sand and stone aggregates has been raised by 25 per cent to 10 lakh tonnes. Similarly, for the remaining items, there has been a 5 per cent increase in the quotas. Despite imposing a ban on the export of sugar, onions and rice to other nations in 2023, India continued its exports to the Maldives. The High Commission said that “India remains strongly committed to supporting human-centric development in Maldives, as part of its “Neighbourhood First” policy.
Maldives Thanks India
The Maldivian FM thanked his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar and the Indian government for the gesture. “This is truly a gesture which signifies the longstanding friendship and the strong commitment to further expand bilateral trade and commerce between our two countries,” he said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Jaishankar responded to the post, saying that “India stands firmly committed to its Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies.” Security and Growth for All in the Region, aka SAGAR, refers to the Indian doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. Under the Neighbourhood First policy, India seeks to prioritise its neighbouring countries.
India-Maldives Ties, Latest Controversy
The move comes amid deteriorating India-Maldives ties ever since the purportedly pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu came to power. Since then, he has asked India to withdraw its troops from the country while also not renewing several agreements signed with New Delhi.
I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism .I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post.
— Mariyam Shiuna (@shiuna_m) April 8, 2024
It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the…
Additionally, controversy ensued after some of Muizzu’s ministers made racist remarks against India and Indian PM Narendra Modi and were later suspended. One of these former ministers, Mariyam Shiuna, has again triggered controversy by sharing an image showing the campaign poster of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), wherein the party’s logo is replaced with the Indian flag’s Ashok Chakra.
After her post sparked a row, Shiuna deleted it and apologised, saying that it was unintentional. “Maldives deeply values its relationship and the mutual respect we share with India. In future, I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights,” the former minister said in her post.