NEW DELHI, Aug 9, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam
Jaishankar leaves Friday on his first trip to the neighbouring Maldives since
Male expelled dozens of Indian soldiers and shifted to become closer to
China.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the Indian Ocean archipelago
was a key part of New Delhi's "neighbourhood first" and maritime security
policies.

Known as a luxury holiday destination with pristine white beaches and
secluded resorts, the atoll nation has also become a geopolitical hotspot in
the Indian Ocean.

India is suspicious of China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean,
including in Sri Lanka as well as the Maldives, which signed a military
assistance pact with Beijing in March.

That deal came as a garrison of Indian soldiers, who had been stationed in
the upscale holiday destination to assist with maritime patrols, was ordered
by pro-Beijing President Mohamed Muizzu to leave.

Global east-west shipping lanes pass the nation's chain of 1,192 tiny coral
islands, stretching around 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator.

India's government has traditionally considered the Maldives, home to around
half a million people, to be within its sphere of influence.

In June, Maldives' pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu visited New Delhi for
Narendra Modi's inauguration as prime minister.

"Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour and an important partner in
India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy," the foreign ministry said.

It said Jaishankar's two-day visit was "aimed at strengthening the close
partnership".

Muizzu's election successes have hinged on a sustained campaign against
India's outsized political and economic clout in the Maldives.

New Delhi has a history of entanglements with affairs in Maldives, including
the deployment of soldiers to thwart a 1988 coup attempt.

Its influence has been a periodic source of resentment in the Muslim-majority
nation.