India has once again made clear its backing for the current regime in Maldives, headed by President Mohammed Waheed, while also reiterating New Delhi’s support for the archipelago’s development.
This affirmation of support was made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he met Mr Waheed, presently on a five-day visit to the country, here on Saturday.
The two leaders discussed the current situation in Maldives as well as bilateral ties, said official sources.
With the island nation in the throes of political turmoil for three months now, the PM also emphasised to Mr Waheed how “important” it is for India to have “peace and stability in Maldives,” said official sources.
Importantly, the visiting President discussed with the Prime Minister issues concerning the Commission of National Inquiry that was set up by President Waheed to investigate the transition of leadership in February 2012.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) wants Maldives to change the Commission’s composition to make it “independent and impartial” and has given it a four week deadline which ends early next week.
Astride important sea lanes in the Indian Ocean, Maldives is of geo-strategic importance for India.
New Delhi is also keen to ensure its influence on the island nation does not wane given the interest being shown by other countries, including China, in gaining a foothold in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Indicative of the strategic significance of Maldives were the various meetings that Mr Waheed has had so far with the top Indian leadership, including national security adviser Shivshankar Menon on Saturday. He also met external affairs minister S.M. Krishna and foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.