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Blinken invites Maldives equivalent, states United States seeks deeper ties

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his equivalent from the Maldives on Tuesday and stated Washington looked for a much deeper partnership with the Indian Ocean island state and stood with it in ensuring a. freeandopen IndoPacific region and in dealing with climate. change.

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

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

After the April election, Washington stated ties were being. reinforced in areas including financial development, education,. security cooperation, and climate-crisis response.

For us, the Maldives is a crucial partner, and we desire. to make sure that we're an excellent partner to the Maldives, Blinken. told Zameer.

We stand together in working to make sure that we have a. totally free and open Indo-Pacific area. We stand together in dealing. with the obstacle postured by climate modification ... We're working. together to make sure that we have a secure maritime space, and. essentially interact to attempt to develop a thriving future. for our individuals.

A State Department declaration stated that in the meeting,. Blinken highlighted the U.S. donation of 8 patrol boats to. the Maldives and prepared provision of $2 million in hydrographic. assistance to help mitigate the effect of increasing water level.

The 2 sides talked about other ways to enhance cooperation in. resolving the climate crisis, as well as ways to promote. economic development and maritime security, it stated.

Zameer said the Maldives federal government appreciated high-level. exchanges it had with the U.S. given that taking office.

I truly eagerly anticipate have a very productive relationship. with U.S., and, also, I think we have had in the past. federal governments as well. So, we will continue to be working. together, he stated.

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

The Indian soldiers supported 2 helicopters and an airplane. supplied by New Delhi and mainly utilized for marine security,. search-and-rescue and medical evacuation operations.

Apart from the soldiers issue, the Maldives' approval to a. Chinese research vessel to dock at its port, in India's. yard, also caused issue in New Delhi.

India opened a brand-new naval base near the Maldives in March to. boost monitoring in the Indian Ocean and in spite of the. pressures, its development tasks in the island chain have gained. speed.

(source: Reuters)