International: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is expected to visit India on a bilateral trip from October 6 to 10, announced the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday. India and the Maldives had been preparing for Muizzu's expected visit since early September, his second trip to India after he visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Muizzu will be travelling to India on a state visit on 6-10 October, 2024. This will be the first bilateral visit of the Maldivian President to India, said the MEA in an official statement. He had earlier visited India in June 2024 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.

During his visit to India, Muizzu will meet his Indian counterpart President Droupadi Murmu and hold discussions with PM Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest. He will also visit Mumbai and Bengaluru where he would be attending business events.

Muizzu's visit to India after the recent visit of the External Affairs Minister to Maldives is testimony to the importance that India attaches to its relations with the Maldives and is expected to lend further momentum to cooperation and robust people-to-people ties between the two countries, according to MEA.

Heena Waleed, the chief spokesperson at the President's Office, announced Muizzu's visit on a day when two junior ministers, suspended in January for derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi - resigned from the government on September 10. "The President is scheduled to visit India very soon. As you are aware, such trips are scheduled for a time of maximum convenience to leaders of the two countries. Discussions regarding this are in progress,” she said during a press conference.

Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, visited New Delhi on June 9 to attend Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. On his return, Muizzu described his first visit to India as a "success" for the Maldives and the region following talks with India's top leadership and said that the strong ties between the two countries will lead to increased prosperity for the Maldivians.

Muizzu denies pursuing 'India Out' campaign

Late last month, the Maldivian President denied pursuing an 'India Out' agenda, saying that he never had any problem against any one country but had a "serious problem" with the presence of foreign military on its soil. "We have never been against any one country at any point. It's not India Out. The Maldives faced a serious problem with a foreign military presence on this soil," Muizzu was quoted as saying while responding to a question at Princeton University's “Dean’s Leadership Series”.