Despite the sour relations, neighbouring country Maldives will get help from India. The Indian government has approved the export of some essential commodities, including rice and wheat, to Maldives. This approval has been given even after the ban on the export of related commodities.
Maldives Had Requested
According to a report in Business Today, apart from rice and wheat, the essential commodities for which the central government has approved export to Maldives include onion and sugar. It is being told that the Maldives have requested India for this. After receiving the request from the Maldives, the government of India considered it and approved the export of limited quantities.
Big Exporter Of These Commodities
India is among the world’s largest rice, sugar and onion exporters. Many neighbouring countries depend on India to supply these essential food items. There is a ban on their export to keep the prices stable in the domestic market. The government is approving the shipment of these commodities on a special-case basis.
Indian High Commission Statement
The report quoted a statement from the Indian High Commission in Male (capital of Maldives) as saying – The Government of India approved the export of these commodities in 2024-25 on the request of the Government of Maldives. This export will be done through a bilateral mechanism.
According to the High Commission, the quantity of exports of these approved commodities has been the highest since the bilateral mechanism was established in 1981.
Maldives Will Get This Much Supply
According to the approval, Maldives will receive 35,749 tonnes of onion and 64,494 tonnes of sugar from India during 2024-25. Similarly, 1 lakh 24 thousand 218 tonnes of rice and 1 lakh 9 thousand 162 tonnes of wheat will also be supplied to Maldives from India. India will also provide 10 lakh tonnes of river sand and stone aggregates to the Maldives.
Relations Are At A Low Level Right Now
This is important because relations between India and the Maldives have soured. The current government of the Maldives is believed to be inclined towards China. President Mohamed Muizzu recently visited China, breaking the decades-old tradition that the new president of the Maldives’ first foreign visit is to India.
At the same time, the situation became worse due to some ministers of the Maldives government making indecent comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After that, a campaign to boycott Maldives started on social media in India. Maldives, which has an economy focused on tourism, may face severe problems due to the boycott of Indian tourists.
