Cooperation in Indian Ocean must include all regional countries, says new Maldives govt at China Forum devdiscourse.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from devdiscourse.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
India on Thursday pledged $500m to fund the largest infrastructure project in the Maldives, as New Delhi seeks to counter growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.
The foreign ministers of the two countries said the new investment – a grant of $100m and a new line of credit of $400m – was part of a financial package to build bridges and causeways linking the capital Male to three neighbouring islets.
“Once completed, the project will be the single largest infrastructure project in the Maldives,” Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said in a statement.
In total, they will also be more than three times longer than the $200m China-Maldives Friendship Bridge completed under for President Yameen with Chinese loans which has since been renamed.