India-Maldives row: Mohamed Muizzu said, “We may be small but this doesn't give them the license to bully us.”
Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu took an indirect jibe at India amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions with New Delhi. In a press conference following his five-day visit to China, Mohamed Muizzu said, "We may be small but this doesn't give them the license to bully us."
The statement comes amid a diplomatic row between India and Maldives after politicians from the island nation made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep after which three ministers were suspended from their posts on January 7.
“Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 900,000 square km. Maldives is one of the countries with the biggest share of this ocean,” he said, adding, “This ocean does not belong to a specific country. This (Indian) Ocean also belongs to all countries situated in it. We aren’t in anyone’s backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state.”
This comes as China said that it "firmly opposes external interference" in the internal affairs of the Maldives and supports the island nation's sovereignty and independence.
"The two sides agree to continue firmly supporting each other in safeguarding their respective core interests," a joint statement by China ad Maldives said, adding, “China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, respects and supports the Maldives' exploration of a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives.”
In China, the Maldives president appealed to Beijing to "intensify" efforts to send more tourists to the island nation.
"China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," he said.
China and Maldives signed 20 agreements which include cooperation in tourism to increase Chinese tourists to the island nation. The two sides also signed the Action Plan for Building a China-Maldives Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership (2024-2028) and inked documents on cooperation in areas such as the Belt and Road, the joint statement said.
"Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 52 years ago, the two countries have always respected and supported each other," it said.
Disclaimer: This Article is auto-generated from the HT news service.
