India is the closest neighbour at a distance of 70 nautical miles. Who else could come to assist Maldives in an hour of need?
India has allowed limited exports of essential commodities, including sugar, wheat, rice, and onions, to the Maldives, the government said on Friday, even as ties between Male and New Delhi remained tense amid rising Chinese influence. To subscribe please click tau.id/2iy6f and access our live channel.
India, a leading exporter of rice, sugar and onions, has imposed various curbs on exports of these food commodities to keep a lid on local prices ahead of general election. The development comes before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in an effort to maintain stability in local prices.
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The government’s notification stated that shipments of these commodities to the Maldives during the 2024/25 financial year, which commenced on April 1, would not be subject to any present or future export restrictions or prohibitions.
The approved exports to the Maldives include 124,218 metric tons of rice, 109,162 tons of wheat flour, 64,494 tons of sugar, 21,513 metric tons of potatoes, 35,749 tons of onions, and 427.5 million eggs. The government has also permitted the export of 1 million tons each of stone aggregate and river sand.
Shipments of these commodities in the FY25 which started on April 1 to the Maldives “will be exempted from any existing or future restriction/prohibition on export,” said the government in a notification.
The Maldives, which has traditionally had close ties to India, is pivoting towards Beijing since new President Mohamed Muizzu was elected in October on a promise to end the country’s pro-India stance.
However, it is unlikely to alter the fundamentals. From Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s years till today, our relations, despite a few hiccups, have been close and friendly. So, let’s not judge the situation in a rush.
Maldives has an area of 90,000 sq km that encompasses 99.6 per cent of the sea. The remaining land is distributed over more than 1,200 islands. Experts predict that 80 per cent of the Maldives will cease to exist by 2050 due to “Global Boiling”.
