Maldives President Muizzu Sets World Record with 15-Hour Press Meet, Softens Stance on India Ties
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has made headlines worldwide by conducting a marathon 15-hour press conference, setting a new global record for the longest continuous media briefing by a head of state. The event, held on Saturday, began at 10:00 a.m. and extended well past midnight, surpassing the previous record of 14 hours set by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019.
According to the Maldivian President’s Office, the 46-year-old Muizzu answered a steady stream of questions, many of them submitted by members of the public. He took only brief breaks for prayers throughout the nearly 15-hour session. “The conference extended past midnight, a new world record by a president, with President Muizzu continuously responding to questions from journalists,” read the official statement.
The extended press meet was also timed to celebrate the country’s improved position in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, where the Maldives rose two spots to rank 104th among 180 countries, as per Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Shift in India Policy
While the duration of the press conference grabbed global attention, a key political takeaway was Muizzu’s revised stance on military and strategic agreements signed with India by the previous government. During his 2023 presidential campaign, Muizzu had aggressively promoted the “India Out” narrative, accusing the former administration of compromising national sovereignty through secretive deals with New Delhi.
However, during the press interaction, Muizzu struck a notably conciliatory tone. Citing ongoing bilateral discussions, he said that his government was working toward disclosing the agreements, but delays were due to confidentiality clauses. “There are no issues. We are trying to disclose through bilateral discussions. There are no concerns,” Muizzu said, as quoted by local news portal Adhadhu.
The shift sparked criticism from the opposition. Former foreign minister and current Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chief Abdulla Shahid accused Muizzu of misleading the public. “After years of false claims, President Muizzu has now confirmed there are no ‘serious concerns’ with the bilateral agreements between the Maldives and India,” Shahid posted on X (formerly Twitter). “He won the 2023 presidential election on the back of a campaign that claimed these agreements threatened our sovereignty and territorial integrity. The people of the Maldives and India deserve an apology.”
Muizzu, who assumed office in November 2023, has walked a fine line between asserting Maldivian independence and maintaining critical ties with regional powers. His record-breaking press conference may have been an attempt to reinforce transparency—but it has also exposed the political risks of shifting narratives.
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