Blinken welcomes Maldives counterpart, says U.S. seeks deeper ties

26/6/2024 7:17

        U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his counterpart from the Maldives on Tuesday and said Washington sought a deeper partnership with the
        Indian Ocean island state and stood with it in ensuring a free-and-open Indo-Pacific region and in dealing with climate change.
        
        Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer's Washington visit comes two months after the party of President Mohamed Muizzu won a landslide in parliamentary elections. Muizzu has pivoted ties towards China and away from India, a key U.S. regional partner in standing up to China in the Indo-Pacific.
        
        The U.S. opened an embassy in Male in 2023 to boost engagement with the low-lying archipelago of about half a million people in the face of China's efforts to spread its regional influence.
        
        After the April election, Washington called the Maldives "a valued partner" and said ties were being strengthened in areas including economic development, education, security cooperation, and climate-crisis response.