India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai’s visits Maldives; India provides a standby loan of US$20 million to the Maldives; Chinese government offers to cover the damage to police stations and civic buildings in Addu City; Eleven Indian fishermen released
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    • India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai visited Maldives and called on President Dr Mohamed Waheed on February 28, 2012 at the President’s Office. Discussions at the meeting were held on the country’s current political situation. Foreign Secretary Mathai assured Indian government’s assistance in the Maldives moving forward peacefully and constitutionally. At the meeting, President Waheed expressed his gratitude to the Indian government, and welcomed India’s support in helping the country move forward. 1

    Meanwhile, Mr. Mathai attended the all party road-map talks and heated up the discussions when the members of the party perceived that India was interfering with the internal affairs by attempting to “compel” the deliberations in a specific direction to rush an early election date. The claims by members of the all party road-map talks that the Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai had put forth an agreement to expedite finalizing a date for early presidential polls has been refuted by Joint Secretary (Maldives) External Affairs Ministry of India Mr. H. V. Shringla. In a press conference held at the Indian High Commission in Maldives, Shringla stressed that the role of the Indian government in the current political strife in the country was part of the sustained engagement in the assistance to the Maldives. Speaking on behalf of the foreign secretary, Shringla revealed that India had merely tried to facilitate dialogue by determining the “lowest common denominator” of the general consensus amongst all political parties to ensure a peaceful resolution to the standoff. 2

    In another development, according to reports, India has provided a standby loan of US$20 million to the Maldives as the country descends into political turmoil. Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, D M Mulay, told the Economic Times that the Indian government had expedited the delivery of the loan, which had been given to the Maldives government several days ago. US$50 million in Maldives’ treasury bonds held by the State Bank of India “has also been rolled over for another year”, Mulay told reporters. 3

    Reports noted that the Chinese government had offered to cover the damage to police stations and civic buildings in Addu City, which were destroyed in the aftermath of a police crackdown on demonstrators in Male’ on February 8, This was reportedly claimed by Economic Minister Ahmed Mohamed. However, Mr. Mohamed was not specific as to whether the offer to repair the Rf183 million (US$11.8 million) in damage would take the form of a financial loan or foreign aid assistance. 4

    In other developments, according to reports, eleven Indian fishermen have been released after they were taken into custody by the Maldives National Defence Force Coastguard last week for straying into Maldivian waters. After a request by India’s External Affairs Ministry, the fishermen were released into the care of the Indian High Commission in Male’. 5

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