Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to Visit India on October 7

New Delhi [India], October 4: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is expected to visit India starting on October 7, according to sources. This will mark Muizzu's first standalone bilateral visit to India since he assumed office last year.

Recently, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Muizzu expressed his intention to visit India soon, emphasizing the "very strong" bilateral relationship between the two countries. He stated, "I am planning to visit (India) as soon as possible...We have a very strong bilateral relationship."

This visit will be the second time Muizzu travels to India this year, following his attendance at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony in June.

Notably, while previous Maldivian Presidents typically made their first foreign visit to India, Muizzu deviated from this tradition by first visiting Turkiye and then China after taking office. His government has adopted a reconciliatory tone following a period of strained relations with India, which included a diplomatic row. 

Since taking power, Muizzu has taken steps that diverge from conventional India-Maldives ties, running his presidential campaign on an "India Out" platform, which focused on the removal of Indian troops from the Maldives.