Island Applause: Muizzu Tips His Hat to Modi’s Marathon Reign

In a diplomatic and symbolic move, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India's second-longest serving Prime Minister for back-to-back terms. The feat—4,078 straight days of service—was recorded during Modi's two-day Maldives trip, a new milestone in bilateral ties.

Key moments from the visit:

Muizzu praised Modi's leadership at an official dinner, welcoming the milestone as a testament to his dedication to public service and development in India

Modi surpassed Indira Gandhi's record of 4,077 consecutive days, second only to Jawaharlal Nehru's 16 years.

Modi is the first non-Congress PM to achieve this, as well as the longest non-Hindi-speaking state PM to hold the position.

Diplomatic and strategic significance:

Modi's visit also coincided with the Maldives' 60th Independence Day celebrations, where he was the Guest of Honour

The leaders inked new trade, agriculture, health, and social welfare agreements, including a Local Currency Settlement System to cut foreign currency reliance

India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will be interfaced with Maldives' payment infrastructure to facilitate retail and tourism transactions

A thaw in relations:

Muizzu's gesture of welcome is a departure from his earlier 'India Out' campaign, signifying a new emphasis on regional collaboration

Modi's visit highlighted India's role in helping develop and stabilize the Maldives in the Indian Ocean region

Sources: Deccan Chronicle, Times of India, News18, Republic World, NDTV, The Tribune India, ANI