Former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed on Friday said that the island nation would take India’s side and it was wrong for China to think that Maldives would prefer it over India. Nasheed said that India’s diplomacy is ‘very sophisticated’ when compared to the diplomacy of western nations. While contrasting Maldives relations with India and China, the former President said that the island nation values its relationship with India, he said ”India and Maldives have been together for the last 2,000 to 3,000 years. Someone can’t come to our country and splash money and ask us to go to bed with them”.
Nasheed made this comment while answering a question about wooing Maldives with projects which are worth billions of dollars. These projects are linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Nasheed made the comments while addressing an event organised by the Brookings Institute in New Delhi, according to an Indian Express report.
Nasheed is in India to take part in a seminar organised by Research and Information System for Developing Countries, which is an autonomous think tank of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Nasheed is in Delhi when his party, which is in Opposition, is trying to bring a no-confidence motion against the speaker of the national assembly, Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, who is considered close to the current President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen, according to an Indian Express report.
Nasheed also said, ”Jawaharlal Nehru did not build India to bully other nations. India does not jump or react to a situation. India’s responses are sophisticated,” as per the report.