Relationship with India is deteriorating: Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister Dr. Abdul Samad Abdulla has said that even though they have held the stance that the termination of the GMR agreement has not affected the relationship between Maldives and India, the reality is that the long standing relationship has been damaged.

Speaking at the Parliament Committee on the Oversight of the Government, in relation to their inquiry into the problems faced by Maldivians in obtaining visas to India, Samad unofficially admitted to the deterioration of the relationship between the two countries.

“India and Maldives have had a close relationship, for many years, you all would agree. In relation to the events that have unfolded recently, particularly the GMR issue, even though we have tried not to admit it officially, there have been some changes to our relationship. On an official level, I would like to say that even though assurance has been given that our relationship will not deter, the ground reality is that we are seeing some changes,” said Samad.

Minister said that because the relationship between India has been damaged, the aid received from the country might come to a halt and that they are currently planning contingencies for such a circumstance. He also said that efforts are being made to improve relations with India.

“We are trying to foresee the kind of circumstance we might face next. We don’t want to be unprepared for something that might suddenly happen. So I have talked about it in two different views. To talk to the Indian High Commission, and to talk to the Indian Government to improve relations with India,” Minister said.

He also said that he has had talks with some of the relevant authorities to locally produce some of the food products currently imported from India.

“We have started work from another route as well, in collaboration with the relevant authorities. To increase our agriculture produce, even by allowing them for long term. In a way that they can be grown in our uninhabited islands,” said Samad.

Speaking at the committee today, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said that India has proposed 7 points that they have asked to be rectified and that the government is currently working on resolving these points.

People have started to wait in long queues outside the Indian High Commission once more, after the issuing of visa was again transferred from Foreign Ministry back to the Indian High Commission.

Some of the parties who support the current government have said that the relationship between India and Maldives has not deteriorated. Some parliament members have said that the people queuing outside the High Commission for visa are doing it on purpose, under a political scheme to undermine the government.