In a bid to address the ongoing diplomatic tension, India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, engaged in a “frank conversation” with his Maldivian counterpart, Moosa Zameer, during a meeting held in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala on Thursday. The talks centered around the recent withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives and various issues related to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Jaishankar, who was in Kampala to represent India at the two-day NAM Summit, shared details of the meeting on social media. “Met Maldives FM @MoosaZameer today in Kampala. A frank conversation on India-Maldives ties. Also discussed NAM-related issues,” he posted along with a photograph of the meeting.

The strained bilateral ties between India and the Maldives were evident during the discussion, where both leaders addressed concerns regarding the withdrawal of Indian military personnel. Zameer expressed pleasure in meeting Jaishankar on the sidelines of the NAM Summit and detailed the topics covered in their discussion.

“We exchanged views on the ongoing high-level discussions on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel, as well as expediting the completion of ongoing development projects in the Maldives, and cooperation within SAARC and NAM,” Zameer wrote on social media.

The meeting follows statements made by Jaishankar last week, acknowledging that India cannot guarantee universal support in every diplomatic dispute. During a town hall meeting in Nagpur, he highlighted India’s efforts over the past decade to build strong global connections while navigating complex diplomatic landscapes.

The Thursday summit in Kampala witnessed Jaishankar engaging in bilateral meetings with counterparts from Egypt, Angola, Belarus, and the Maldives. Discussions in these meetings focused on issues of mutual interest and strategies to expand cooperation in multilateral forums.