Amid tense ties between Male and New Delhi and a rising Chinese influence, Maldives has thanked India for allowing limited exports of essential commodities, including sugar, wheat, rice, and onions.
In a post on X, Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer extended his thanks on behalf of the island nation. 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 the Lok Sabha elections scheduled this month.
Shipments of these commodities in the 2024/25 financial year which started on April 1 to Maldives "will be exempted from any existing or future restriction/prohibition on export," the government had said in a notification.
“I sincerely thank EAM Dr S Jaishankar and the Government of India for the renewal of the quota to enable Maldives to import essential commodities from India during the years 2024 and 2025," he wrote.
“This is truly a gesture which signifies the longstanding friendship, and the strong commitment to further expand bilateral trade and commerce between our two countries," he added. In reply, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is “committed to its neighbourhood first and SAGAR policies".
The South Asian country has allowed exports of 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 to the Maldives.
India has also allowed exports of 1 million tons each of stone aggregate and river sand.
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.