Indian FM on first visit to Maldives since troops sent packing

NEW DELHI: India´s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar leaves on Friday on his first trip to the neighbouring Maldives since Male expelled dozens of Indian soldiers and shifted to become closer to China.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the Indian Ocean archipelago was a key part of New Delhi´s “neighbourhood first” and maritime security policies.

Known as a luxury holiday destination with pristine white beaches and secluded resorts, the atoll nation has also become a geopolitical hotspot in the Indian Ocean.

India is suspicious of China´s growing presence in the Indian Ocean, including in Sri Lanka as well as the Maldives, which signed a military assistance pact with Beijing in March.