India Maldives Relations: Relations with Muizoo improved, Maldives got permission to export from these Indian ports

The relationship between India and Maldives was strained for some time now, but now the relationship has started to improve again. On Thursday, the Government of India allowed Maldives to export essential commodities from the country's two major ports during this financial year. These two major ports are Kandla and Visakhapatnam. Both these ports are considered restricted category. In this way, essential goods can now be exported to Maldives from a total of six ports in India.

A statement issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that Visakhapatnam and Kandla Customs Sea Ports have been added to the list of ports approved for export of essential commodities to Maldives for the financial year 2024-25, which are prohibited from being included in the restricted category. is

Exports from Visakhapatnam-Kandla port were permitted

Bilateral trade between Maldives and India has increased this year. Bilateral trade between the two countries during the year 2022-23 was US $973.37 million. It has increased to 978.56 million US dollars in the year 2023-24.

During the last financial year, India's exports were US $ 476.75 million, which has increased to US $ 892 million in the year 2022-23.

Engineering and industrial products such as radar equipment, rock boulders, aggregates, drugs, pharmaceuticals, cement, fruits, vegetables, rice, spices and poultry products etc. are exported from India, while scrap metals are mainly exported from Maldives.

Tensions in India-Maldives relations

Let us tell you that after President Mohammad Muizu became the President of Maldives in November last year, the relations between Maldives and India came under serious tension. Muizu then asked for the recall of around 90 Indian military personnel manning the three aviation platforms gifted to India.

India withdrew military personnel by May 10. These military personnel were replaced by civilian personnel to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft.

Meanwhile, PM Modi took oath as Prime Minister for the third time. President Mohammad Muizu attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi. Since then the relations between India and Maldives are improving again.