High Commissioner of India to the Maldives Munu Mahawar has stated economic ties between the two countries have strengthened in the last three years.
In an interview with PSM News, High Commissioner Mahawar said the relationship between the Maldives and India is driven by the people of both countries and the governments can provide an enabling framework for bonds between people to strengthen and bear fruit. The high commissioner stated bilateral relations have both expanded and deepened for mutual benefit under the leadership of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He highlighted that the direct cargo ferry service between the two countries has enabled greater and more cost-effective bilateral trade and that the visa-free agreement has been a game-changer for people-to-people ties by enabling greater flow of people between India and the Maldives.
Furthermore, High Commissioner Mahawar said India and the Maldives have worked closely to mitigate challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the Maldives was one of the first recipients of vaccines from India, and that India also extended financial support of USD 250 million to deal with the immediate impact on the Maldivian economy.
Additionally, High Commissioner Mahawar highlighted that India was the largest tourism market for the Maldives in 2020 and 2021. He noted India's outbound tourist numbers are expected to be 28.5 million in 2025 and that the close and friendly relations between the two countries, and good marketing strategies can ensure that Indian tourism numbers in the Maldives will continue to grow in the future.
The high commissioner said he would like to see greater interaction among private business entities and there is huge potential for expansion of the trade and investment ties between the two countries. He added this will be a priority area for him and the high commission in the coming years.