The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday during Jaishankar's three-day official visit to the Maldives.

The tension in India-Maldives relations escalated after derogatory remarks were made by three Maldivian ministers and some parliamentarians about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The announcement came following a productive meeting between Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer and Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).

Environment minister Shamnaz, along with her ex-husband Adam Rameez, who served as a minister at the President’s Office, and two other individuals, faces charges of using witchcraft purportedly to gain favour with President Muizzu.

In a press release from the Indian Embassy in Oman, PM Modi emphasized the significance of Eid al-Adha as a pivotal component of India's multicultural heritage, celebrated by millions of Indian citizens of the Islamic faith. He also conveyed his best wishes for the Sultan's good health and well-being.

This announcement follows the Maldives Ministry of Finance's recent report that public and publicly guaranteed debt has surged to nearly 110 per cent of the nation’s GDP. The Maldives, heavily reliant on tourism, was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and has only started to recover in 2023.

Upon returning from the trip, Muizzu remarked that the visit was a "success" not just for the Maldives but for the region as well, and hoped for increased prosperity for Maldivians.

Bangladesh President Sheikh Hasina and Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif have already arrived in Delhi.

Muizzu's remarks came as he accepted the invitation to attend Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi.

The Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives were tasked with operating these donated helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, primarily used for medical evacuations. 

India has replaced some 80 soldiers in the Maldives with civilians after a demand by President Mohamed Muizzu who has pivoted the archipelago’s ties towards China, New Delhi officials said on Thursday.

The election results are being viewed as fertile ground that will further jeopardise the island nation's diplomatic tensions with India and its gravitation towards China. It’s been an election that is crucial for not just the ruling President Muizzu, who has made his pro-Beijing stand quite clear since coming to power last September, but also other key players in the Indian Ocean.