The Indian mission in Male has conveyed India’s concern and has said : “We call upon the Government of Maldives and all concerned parties to ensure that Indian interests in Maldives and the security of Indian nationals are fully protected. The Government of India proposes to monitor the situation in Maldives closely and is prepared to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of its interests and its nationals in the Maldives. The Government of India will continue to be seized of the matter.”

The investment by GMR represents the single largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in the history of Maldives. “The decision to terminate the contract with GMR without due consultation with the company or efforts at arbitration provided for under the agreement has sent a very negative signal to foreign investors and the international community,” said the Official Spokesperson in the Indian External Affairs Ministry, Syed Akbaruddin.

He said that India would continue to remain engaged with the Government of Maldives on this issue, and would expect that the Government of Maldives would fulfil all legal processes and requirements in accordance with the relevant contracts and agreement it has concluded with GMR in this regard.

The consortium consisting of GMR and Malaysian Airport Authority – NAHB - had been awarded the contract to manage the Male International Airport concession through a global tender conducted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Washington, a member of the World Bank. As the Advisor to the Government of Maldives, the IFC has stated that the bid had complied with Maldivian laws and regulations and followed international best practices at each step of the bidding process to ensure the highest degree of competitiveness, transparency and credibility of the process.