“From ‘India out’ to strategic embrace: Maldives resets ties with New Delhi”, First Post, July 24, 2025:

“Not long ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu—who rose to power on the back of a robust “India Out” campaign—would extend an invitation to Bharatiya Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Maldives’ most significant national event on July 25, 2025, the country’s 60th Independence Day, as the Guest of Honour. Yet, that is precisely what has unfolded.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi stated: “Day after tomorrow, 25th July, I will be in the Maldives at the invitation of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. I am honoured to be taking part in the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives. This year we also mark 60 years of Bharat-Maldives diplomatic relations. The talks with President Muizzu will certainly add momentum to bilateral ties across diverse sectors.”

This moment carries deep symbolic significance. Only a few years ago, the Bharat-Maldives relationship had reached a historic low. President Muizzu’s “India Out” campaign actively challenged Bharat’s strategic footprint in the archipelago, marked by personal attacks and sharp rhetoric against Prime Minister Modi himself. Many analysts concluded at the time that Bharat had effectively “lost” the Maldives to China—particularly when Muizzu broke with diplomatic precedent by choosing Beijing as the destination for his first official overseas visit…….”

Read the full article at Firstpost.com