For years, Maldivian foreign policy often felt like a balancing act tilted to one side. At different times, governments leaned heavily on a single partner: India for security and trade, or China for big infrastructure projects, leaving the country’s diplomacy exposed whenever politics shifted.

That’s starting to change. Under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives is moving toward a steadier, more independent course. Rather than relying too much on any one nation, the Government is focused on keeping friendships wide and even. The idea is simple: work with everyone, depend on no one.

Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer sums it up as “friendship with all, entanglement with none.” In practice, that means continuing strong ties with neighbours like India while maintaining cooperation with China, and at the same time opening new doors with Gulf states, the United States, the European Union, and regional groups such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

The benefits are already visible. Tourism and investment are now flowing in from a wider range of countries, giving the economy more resilience. Climate action, a life-or-death issue for a low-lying island nation, is getting support from multiple partners, not just one. And new defence and maritime agreements are being signed in ways that protect Maldivian sovereignty.

This isn’t about turning away from close friends; it’s about making sure no single relationship dictates the nation’s future. By welcoming cooperation while keeping decisions firmly in Maldivian hands, the Government is showing that the country can stand on its own terms. President Dr Muizzu's "pro-Maldives" foreign policy is a stepping stone for individuality, strengthened sovereignty, and an exemplary national identity.

It’s a more confident, practical style of diplomacy, one that fits a small nation in a big, complicated world. For everyday Maldivians, it means a steadier outlook: opportunities that come from many directions and a foreign policy designed to keep the country’s independence as strong as the ocean that surrounds it.