News Desk
MALE’, — President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has declared the Maldives ready to act as a neutral mediator to resolve diplomatic disputes among South Asian nations and revive the dormant South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Speaking on Public Service Media’s “Nation Chat” programme, President Muizzu stated that no international dispute is beyond resolution through dialogue. Grounding his diplomatic push in historical precedence, he cited the 1980s foreign policy of former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, whose early leadership within SAARC fostered significant regional cooperation and stability.
“If we are working towards peace and stability in this region, we must work together,” President Muizzu said, calling for a revived platform where South Asian states can communicate constructively.
SAARC—which comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—has not convened a formal leaders’ summit since its 18th meeting in Kathmandu in November 2014. A subsequent summit scheduled to take place in Islamabad in 2016 was cancelled after India and several other member nations boycotted the event following a terrorist attack on an Indian military base in Uri, Kashmir.
Highlighting the Maldives’ willingness to re-establish an atmosphere of mutual trust, President Muizzu reaffirmed his administration’s goal of bringing member nations together to convene a long-overdue SAARC Leaders’ Summit in the near future.
Addressing the official ceremony marking the country’s Independence Day, President Muizzu urged member states to put aside bilateral grievances and return to the negotiating table in the interest of regional peace and economic development.
“If doing that is difficult, the Maldives is here to take the initiative and act as a mediator to carry forward those discussions,” he said, noting that the eight-nation regional grouping has remained effectively dormant for nine years.
President Muizzu’s overture drew a cautious response from New Delhi. India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated its position that regional cooperation hinges on mutual goodwill, pointing to continued cross-border terrorism as the primary obstacle to reviving the association.
The diplomatic initiative comes as other regional partners, including Bangladesh, have also signalled interest in exploring mechanisms to restart high-level engagement within the bloc. President Muizzu reaffirmed that Maldivian foreign policy remains rooted in peaceful dialogue, ruling out conflict or military force as viable avenues for resolving international disputes.
