Tourism "Impacted" Amid Row With India: Ex Maldives President

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed on Friday expressed concerns over the repercussions of India's recent boycott call, particularly in the realm of tourism. Mr Nasheed, currently in India, also issued an apology on behalf of the Maldivian people.

The diplomatic strain between India and the Maldives, simmering for a while, hit another low as President Mohamed Muizzu, perceived as pro-China, announced plans to expel all Indian military personnel from the country by March 10. This move raised tensions and prompted a boycott call from India, impacting various sectors, notably tourism, a crucial component of the Maldivian economy.

"It has impacted the Maldives a lot, and I am actually here in India. I'm very worried about this. I want to say the people of the Maldives are sorry, we are sorry that this has happened. We want Indian people to come on their holidays to the Maldives, and there will not be any change in our hospitality," Mr Nasheed said as quoted by news agency ANI. 

Mr Nasheed acknowledged India's historically responsible approach in dealing with such matters, stating that instead of exerting pressure, India proposed a diplomatic discussion.

"When the president of the Maldives wanted Indian military personnel to leave, you know what India did? They did not twist their arms. They did not display muscle, but just simply told the government of Maldives, 'Okay, let's have a discussion on that'," he said. 

On the recent defence agreement between Maldives and China, Mr Nasheed dismissed it as not being a defence pact but rather an acquisition of equipment. 

"I think that Muizzu wanted to buy some equipment, mainly rubber bullets and tear gas. It is very unfortunate that the government thought that there is a need for more tear gas and more rubber bullets. Governance is not through the barrel of the gun," he said. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently stated that misunderstandings can arise between nations and expressed optimism in resolving the dispute through diplomatic means.

"Humanity is humanity. Diplomacy is diplomacy, and politics is politics. The whole world doesn't always run with obligation...so if we have encountered such a situation, the solution will come through diplomacy only," Mr Jaishankar said.

"We have to make people understand, sometimes people don't even have complete knowledge of things, sometimes people get misguided on what others say," he added.

Earlier, the Maldives announced that it would not extend the agreement that permitted India to conduct hydrographic surveys in collaboration with the Maldives.

President Muizzu broke from the established tradition by opting not to visit India on his first official trip, instead choosing to visit Turkey and then China.