‘India Has Bigger Heart’: Maldives Foreign Minister When Asked If China Was Playing Bigger Role In His Nation

Maldives’ Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, who is in India for a five-day-long official visit, Wednesday (11 December) said India had a “bigger heart” than China and the two countries had best of relations, news agency ANI tweeted.

Shahid was asked if China was playing a bigger role than India in Maldives. To which, he responded saying, “If you look at difficult situations that Maldives had in past, which country came to Maldives' assistance, India has been the first country to come to our assistance, every time.”

The FM further added, “India has a bigger heart. Maldives has the best relations with India.”

During his visit, that started on Tuesday, Shahid would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also participate in the India-Maldives sixth Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi on 13 December, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

His tour comes days after India, at an event, gave patrol vessel “Kaamiyaab” to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) as New Delhi aims to be net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region amid growing Chinese forays in the region.