Keen to send envoy to India, but ministers not available: Maldives

Maldives' President Abdulla Yameen is sending out his ministers to China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as "special envoys", but none is coming to India.

Male claimed that it had been keen to send a special envoy to New Delhi on Thursday, but has not been able to do so as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were not available in the national capital.

Yameen asked his economic development minister Mohamed Saeed to travel to Beijing to provide the Chinese government "updates on the current situation" in Maldives.

He also asked his foreign minister Mohamed Asim to visit Pakistan and fisheries and agriculture minister Mohamed Shainee to visit Saudi Arabia.

The visits of the Special Envoys to Beijing, Islamabad and Riyadh are apparently aimed at drumming up support for Yameen's refusal to abide by the order of the Supreme Court to release all political prisoners, the arrest of its chief justice and declaration of a state of emergency in the country.

He, however, did not assign anyone to visit New Delhi, which had earlier called upon him to adhere to the order of the Supreme Court. New Delhi also stated that it had been "disturbed" by the declaration of a state of emergency in the Maldives.

The Embassy of Maldives in New Delhi issued a statement to scotch the speculation about Yameen's government in Male giving a short shrift to India.

The tiny Indian Ocean island has of late been yet another scene where India and China are in competition to expand its geo-political influence.

"A section of the Indian media has brought out news items stating that special envoy of the President of the Republic of the Maldives has bypassed India," the Embassy of Maldives in New Delhi stated.

"This is far from truth. The first stop of special envoy of the President was India. Foreign Minister of Maldives Dr. Mohamed Asim, the designated special envoy of the President was scheduled for 8th February 2018, to India but the visit was cancelled on the request of the government of India."

"The government of the Maldives was informed that the said dates were not suitable for India's leadership," stated the Embassy of Maldives in New Delhi.