UNGA President-elect Abdullah Shahid Lauds India for providing `timely help’

INTERNATIONAL DESK: President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and current Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid, who is on a visit to India, on Thursday said that India has always been the first responder in times of need for the island nation.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Shahid while responding to a question on comparing India and China’s cooperation said, “India has always been the first responder to the Maldives in times of need. Even during the COVID-19 crisis, India has been the first responder. If you look at the evacuation of Maldives students from Wuhan, India helped us to bring back the students.”

“India sent doctors and medical equipment, and medicines when it was needed. India has assisted us in Budget support, 250 million dollars so badly required. India also provided the vaccines within 48 hours of its national roll-out. India is so close to the Maldives geographically and also in many other ways.”

Speaking of China, he apparently avoided making any comparison and said that one must not be “comparing what other countries do for us instead we celebrate what India has done for us”.

“We will continue to engage with other countries, that is the policy of the current government. We are a friend to all and enemy to none,” the President-elect UNGA told ANI.

China has been expanding its presence in the island-nation through its ‘debt diplomacy’. The Maldives is scuffling with huge debt as well as China’s ascending prevalence in the region.

In the backdrop of the India-China conflict and their debt issues with China, he informed ANI that the previous government has taken a lot of developmental loans from China, understandably so, its repayment was a challenge during COVID-19 not only for Maldives but for all small island countries as well as LDCs (Least Developed Country).

“We’ve been able to talk to China and many other countries from whom we had borrowed. Through the DSSI (Debt Service Suspension Initiative) process, we’re being given room to breathe. I think it is of great appreciation that the G7 has come up with the DSSI process,” Shahid stated.

Regarding remarks made by Maldives Parliament Speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed about the absence of crackdown on terrorism in the country, Shahid said, “President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s government is fully committed to make sure that extremism doesn’t have any place in Maldives. President Solih’s government is the only government that has come out clearly and stated in public the list of organisations that we regard as terrorist organisations.”

“So, we walk the talk when it comes to extremism and terrorism. We’re ready to work with everyone to make sure that there’s a national consensus on making sure that we don’t give any space either to terrorists or extremists in the Maldives,” added the Foreign Minister of Maldives.