NEW DELHI: New Delhi appears to be weighing diplomatic options after Male reportedly placed restrictions on the movement of the Indian Ambassador to the Maldives.

Asked to comment on reports that travel restrictions had been imposed on the Indian High Commissioner, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said, “I don’t think this information is correct.”

According to reports, the Maldives’ Local Government Authority has mandated that foreign diplomats in Male obtain government approval before meeting any Maldivian official. The government suspended three members of a local body allegedly for meeting Indian Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra without permission.

However, Ibrahim H. Shihab, International Spokesperson at the President’s office, said the Indian envoy was a friend of the Maldives.

“The Maldives respects norms of diplomacy and diplomatic engagement and no diplomat posted to the Maldives by any country is restricted in their freedom of movement - anyone making such claims are severely misinformed,” he said.

However, instead of delving into the issue of restrictions on movement, Kumar, during a briefing this week, indicated concerns around the recent Free Trade Agreement between Beijing and Male.

“We are actually trying to understand the implications of this. It needs to be carefully studied. In such situations governments do engage in diplomatic discussions...,” he said.

Maldivian Ambassador to Colombo Mohamed Hussain Shareef said all diplomats had to follow the regulations laid down by the host Foreign Ministry and take due permission to travel across the country.

“A number of resident and non-resident Ambassadors take the liberty of not informing the Foreign Ministry when they meet local officials. And some atolls seem to be getting a lot of love from resident and non-resident Ambassadors, especially those where the local government is controlled by the opposition. That is bizarre,” Shareef said.

The British, Australian and German envoys to the Maldives tweeted strongly against the development. Reiterating its commitment to “democracy, development and stability” in the Indian Ocean nation, New Delhi recently reminded the Maldives about its “India First” policy.

The Hindu