Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the Maldives around July 26, marking his first trip to the island nation since President Mohamed Muizzu took office in November 2023. The visit is likely to coincide with the Maldives’ Independence Day celebrations and follows a renewed invitation extended by Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel, who recently visited India.
Khalel’s visit signaled the Maldives’ intention to strengthen relations with India, especially as concerns rise over its growing ties with China in the strategically important Indian Ocean region.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit China on July 13 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting. This will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to China since the 2020 Galwan clash, and the first time he will share a forum with his Pakistani counterpart following Operation Sindoor. A bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also expected.
Last month, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended SCO meetings in China, with Rajnath Singh refusing to sign a joint statement that omitted mention of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, highlighting ongoing sensitivities in India-China relations.
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