Maldives, an important archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has been pursuing a pro-active foreign policy in recent years. Slow transition to democracy since 2008 and increasing interests of the external powers in the region have opened up opportunities for the island nation to engage with various actors. By emphasizing on a foreign policy, based on the principles of friendship with all countries, rule based inclusive international system and non-interference in internal affairs of other countries, Maldives has come a long way in leveraging its strategic geographical position in the region.[1]Few recent developments indicate this.
The recent announcement by the Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid (18 September 2022) that the island nation is expecting a first US Embassy in Male later this year or early next year is an important development. This displays the increasing importance of the island nations in the strategic calculus of major powers. The US had announced its interest to establish an Embassy in Male in 2020 reflecting ‘strong US-Maldives relations and underscoring its commitment in the Indo-Pacific region’.[2] Maldives Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense also signed a “Framework Agreement on Defence and Security Relationship”, on 10 September 2020.[3] The Agreement marks an important step towards building cooperation in defence and maritime security, counter terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the Indian Ocean Region, between the two countries. To operationalise the defence and security partnership, the first Defence and Security Dialogue was held in Male on 5th January 2021. Joint exercises, logistics, information sharing and professional military education were recognised as focus areas.[4]The First US Coast Guard Cutter Midgettvisit to Maldives, on 25 September 2022, since 2009, is an important development in this regard as the US-Coast Guard deployment in the region directly supports US foreign and national security strategy.[5]In February 2022, Australia also announced its decision to open its embassy in Male. The First UK Resident High Commissioner to Maldives was appointed in October 2019. For a small island nation such as Maldives these developments present an opportunity to work closely with major and middle powers in the region on the broader issues of maritime security.
For the US, engaging with Maldives is important in conjunction with its enhanced engagement with India and Sri Lanka in the region on a number of counts. It will help the US to work with Maldives including within the framework of Indo-Pacific and counter China’s BRI push in the region. Maldives’ closeness to China after it endorsed China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in 2014, during the visit of China Premier Xi Jingping, attracted significant investments for the island nation. For China, the region is important to secure its energy supplies from the OPEC countries andrevive its age-oldMaritime Silk Route idea. China is trying to secure its interests through economic, investment and political diplomacy, described as “debt-trap diplomacy” by the West. The West is also looking for new alliances to increase its economic, political and military foothold in the region. The February 2019 verdict by the ICJ on Chagos Islands, where the US military base is located was a setback to the UK and the US’s security interest in the region. In 2019, the ICJ directed the UK to unconditionally withdraw its colonial administration from the Chagos islands and hand it over to Mauritius thereby, effectively constraining the influence that the UK and the US had in the IOR. The ruling was welcomed by the UN General Assembly as it will allow Mauritius to “complete the decolonisation of its territory”.[6]
Amidst the geo-politics in the region, Maldives itself is taking keen interest in exploring possibilities for enhanced global engagement. The Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) led Government that came to power in 2018 by defeating the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Government led by Abdulla Yameen, has worked towards enhancing its position in the international fora and leveraging its geographical location in the region. For instance, Government of Maldives is planning to open its Embassy in Washington by end of this year.[7] Maldives had closed its Mission in the US in the year 1965 and the second time in 2007 due to budgetary constraints. It has also intensified its role in multilateral forums such as at the UN on issues of climate change and terrorism. As the lead nation in the Small Island Developing Nations (SIDS) forum, it has been trying to voice the concerns of SIDS on issues such as global warming, rising sea levels and future existence of island states if efforts are not made to address carbon emissions. President of Maldives, Mohammed Solih, in his address to the76thGeneral Assembly on 21 September 2021 while talking about the global emissions said, “the difference between 1.5 degrees and 2 degrees is a death sentence for the Maldives”.[8] Maldives Presidency of the 76th UN General Assembly in 2021-22, has also provided an opportunity for the country to put forward a Vision Statement for the UN titled “Presidency of Hope”. The statement presented by the Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid highlighted the need to work on issues such as climate change, human rights, sustainability, recovery from COVID-19 and revitalisation of the UN”. [9]
Maldives has also, been included as a Dialogue Partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Annual Heads of States Summit held on 15-16 September, 2022 Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Dialogue Partner status of SCO is another important milestone for the country’s foreign policy. As a Dialogue Partner of the SCO, Maldives is looking forward to place itself at the heart of region’s economic activities and work with Member Countries of SCO to enhance maritime security.[10]At present, Maldives is a member of 63 international organisations, including the UN, International Labour Organisation (ILO), and South Asia Association for Regional Organisation (SAARC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). These developments have helped Maldives to improve its international stature.
It seems that Maldives is pursuing a carefully calibrated foreign policy, which has been helpful in placing its interests and concerns, as a small island nation, at the forefront of regional and global debates viz: economic recovery in post-pandemic years, getting attention of big powers to the impact of climate change on SIDS and in the regional context peace, security and stability in the Indian Ocean Region. But the main challenge for the small island nation rests in balancing the conflicting interests of powers present in the region such as India, US and China and steering through various foreign policy priorities such as “India First Policy”, “One-China Policy”, “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and support to BRI. Another challenge is maintaining domestic political stability to ensure that foreign policy goals are achieved in the pursuit of peace and prosperity.
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* Dr. Samatha Mallempati, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.
End Notes
[1] High Commission of the Republic of Maldives, London, “Maldives Foreign Policy”, https://www.maldiveshighcommission.uk/index.php/political/maldives-foreign-policy. Accessed on September 20, 2022.
[2]The US Department of State, “On U.S. Intent to Open an Embassy in Maldives”, Press Statement, 20 October 2020, https://2017-2021.state.gov/on-u-s-intent-to-open-an-embassy-in-maldives/index.html. Accessed on September 21, 2022.
[3] The U.S. Department of Defense, “The Maldives and U.S. Sign Defense Agreement”, 11 September 2020, https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2344512/the-maldives-and-us-sign-defense-agreement. Accessed on September 19, 2022.
[4] The U.S. Department of Defence, “Readout of U.S.-Maldives Inaugural Defense and Security Dialogue”, 6 January 2021, https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2463423/readout-of-us-maldives-inaugural-defense-and-security-dialogue/. Accessed on September 18, 2022.
[5] Coast Guard Pacific Area Public Affairs, Government of United States, “First U.S. Coast Guard cutter visits Maldives since 2009”, 25 September 2022, https://www.cpf.navy.mil/Newsroom/News/Article/3169664/first-us-coast-guard-cutter-visits-maldives-since-2009/. Accessed on September 25, 2022.
[6] United Nations, “General Assembly Welcomes International Court of Justice Opinion on Chagos Archipelago, Adopts Text Calling for Mauritius’ Complete Decolonization”, 22 May 2019, https://press.un.org/en/2019/ga12146.doc.htm. Accessed on September 23, 2022.
[7]Reuters, “Maldives hopes for first U.S. embassy late this year or early next”, 19 September 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/maldives-hopes-first-us-embassy-late-this-year-or-early-next-2022-09-18/
[8] The President’s Office, Republic of Maldives, “Unofficial translation of the statement by His Excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Republic of Maldives, at the General Debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly”, 21 September 2021, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/25249. Accessed on September 20, 2022.
[9] Abdulla Shahid, “A Presidency of Hope Delivering for People, for Planet and for Prosperity: A Vision Statement”, 30 April 2021, https://www.un.org/pga/75/wp-content/uploads/sites/100/2021/04/Maldives.pdf. Accessed on September 25, 2022.
[10]ZunanaZalif, “Gov’t welcomes decision to be granted dialogue partner status at SCO Heads of State Council summit”, 5 August 2022, https://raajje.mv/121474. Accessed on September 20, 2022.