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Blinken invites Maldives counterpart, states U.S. looks for much deeper ties

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his counterpart from the Maldives on Tuesday and said Washington looked for a deeper collaboration with the Indian Ocean island state and stood with it in guaranteeing a. freeandopen IndoPacific area and in handling environment. modification.

Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer's Washington visit. comes 2 months after the party of President Mohamed Muizzu won. a landslide in parliamentary elections. Muizzu has actually pivoted ties. towards China and away from India, a key U.S. local partner. in standing up to China in the Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. opened an embassy in Male in 2023 to improve. engagement with the low-lying island chain of about half a. million individuals in the face of China's efforts to spread its. local impact.

After the April election, Washington called the Maldives a. valued partner and stated ties were being strengthened in locations. including financial development, education, security cooperation,. and climate-crisis response.

For us, the Maldives is an important partner, and we want. to make certain that we're a great partner to the Maldives, Blinken. informed Zameer at the State Department.

We stand together in working to ensure that we have a. complimentary and open Indo-Pacific area. We stand together in dealing. with the obstacle positioned by climate modification ... We're working. together to make certain that we have a secure maritime area, and. basically work together to try to construct a thriving future. for our individuals.

Zameer stated the Maldives federal government valued top-level. exchanges it had with the U.S. because taking workplace.

I truly eagerly anticipate have a very rewarding relationship. with U.S., and, likewise, I believe we have had in the past. federal governments also. So, we will continue to be working. together, he said.

In May, India stated it had actually replaced 80 soldiers on the. Maldives with civilians after a demand by Muizzu, who has. courted China and deepened defense ties with Beijing.

The Indian soldiers supported 2 helicopters and an airplane. provided by New Delhi and primarily used for marine surveillance,. search-and-rescue and medical evacuation operations.

Apart from the troops problem, the Maldives' authorization to a. Chinese research study vessel to dock at its port, in India's. backyard, also triggered concern in New Delhi.

India opened a brand-new naval base near the Maldives in March to. boost surveillance in the Indian Ocean and in spite of the. stress, its development projects in the Maldives have actually gained. pace.

(source: Reuters)