President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said that the government's policy did not change and there is no reason to apologize to the people.
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Sunday demanded a public apology from the government for deceiving the people about India.
In an exclusive interview with Adhadhu on Sunday after a meeting with the Male' city council, President Muizzu claimed his foreign policy had not changed.
He described the foreign policy of this government as maintaining close relations with all cooperating countries without discrimination to ensure that Maldives' independence and sovereignty are protected.
"There has never been a moment when we have moved away from that policy. So there is no reason for us to apologize," the President stated.
President Muizzu said the people voted for that policy in September 2023 and the government has not changed its policy within the past months.
Speaking to Adhadhu after his meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Saturday, MDP's President and former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said the "India Out" campaign was a divisive movement formed to deceive the people.
"MDP believes the 'India Out' campaign was a divisive and baseless campaign to deceive the people of Maldives. But after nine months, the government has accepted it and resumed building relations with India. MDP welcomes that," he said.
Jaishankar's visit comes at a time when the two countries have started working on restoring ties after increased tensions during the early days of the People's National Congress (PNC) government.
