• Source:PTI
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Maldives-India News:  India has allowed the export of essential goods to the Maldives for the year 2024-25 at the request of the island nation's government, the Indian High Commission in Male said on Friday. The gesture of the Indian side came at a time of strained ties between the countries. Calling it a display of strong commitment to supporting the human-centric development in the island nation, the commission said that this was being done “under a unique bilateral mechanism” under which the quotas for each of these items have been increased.

Notably, India and Maldives have a bilateral trade agreement, signed in 1981, which facilitates the export of certain essential goods to the country. According to Friday's announcement, there has also been an increase of 5 per cent in the quotas for eggs, potatoes, onions, sugar, rice, wheat flour and dal (pulses).

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“The approved quantities are the highest since this arrangement came into effect in 1981,” the notice by the mission said.

The announcement comes amid a diplomatic dispute between the nations, which began in November last year. At that time, President Mohamed Muizzu, known for his pro-China stance, assumed office and soon after demanded that India withdraw its 88 military personnel from his country within months.

Tensions further escalated when three Maldivian ministers made disrespectful remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had shared photos and videos of the Lakshadweep Islands. This sparked widespread criticism from Indians, including many celebrities, and led to the start of the #BoycottMaldives campaign.

The 1981 India and Maldives trade agreement provides for the export of essential commodities. According to the records from the Indian High Commission, growing from modest beginnings, India-Maldives bilateral trade crossed the USD 300 million mark for the first time in 2021, which further crossed the USD 500 million mark in 2022.

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“India emerged as Maldives' 2nd largest trade partner in 2022 and the largest in 2023. Indian imports from the Maldives primarily comprise scrap metals while Indian exports to the Maldives include a variety of engineering and industrial products like drugs and pharmaceuticals, radar apparatus, rock boulders, aggregates, cement and agricultural produce such as rice, spices, fruits, vegetables and poultry produce etc,” it said.

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