Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Maldives on July 25–26 to participate in the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations, placing renewed focus on India’s neighbourhood diplomacy. This will be Mr. Modi’s first visit to the Maldives since President Mohamed Muizzu’s election in November 2023.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome and will hold bilateral talks with President Muizzu. The discussions are expected to advance ongoing development partnerships, particularly in digital payment integration through UPI and tourism cooperation. Mr. Modi will also attend the Independence Day parade on July 26 as a special guest, an invitation extended by Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel earlier this year.
The visit comes after a period of strained relations over the “India Out” campaign supported by President Muizzu and a subsequent “Boycott Maldives” campaign. However, ties have since improved following India’s decision to replace military personnel with civilian technical staff managing aircraft operations. Additionally, India enhanced its Lines of Credit to Maldives from ₹470 crore to ₹600 crore in the 2025 budget and extended a currency swap facility to assist with Maldives’ debt obligations.
Parallel to the Maldives visit, a potential trip to the UK by Mr. Modi on July 24 to sign a long-anticipated Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also under discussion. However, officials indicate that the trip may be postponed due to pending legal and technical formalities.
In a further sign of regional engagement, Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli is expected to visit New Delhi shortly after Mr. Modi’s return. Talks are underway, although internal political shifts in Nepal—including the recent withdrawal of support by the Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal, which has reduced the ruling coalition to a minority in the National Assembly—may influence the final schedule.
Mr. Oli, who assumed office on July 15, 2024, has yet to visit India but traveled to China in December last year. His planned trip to New Delhi has gained significance, especially after he condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and acknowledged India’s assistance during evacuations from Iran amid the Iran-Israel conflict. He has also publicly appreciated India’s support for Nepal’s democratic transition. (Source: TheHindu)
