Stories
Former Maldives President Nasheed Warns Against Middle Powers Carving Spheres of Influence
F
Firstpost•12-10-2026, 07:21
Former Maldives President Nasheed Warns Against Middle Powers Carving Spheres of Influence
- •Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed expressed deep concerns among smaller nations regarding the rise of middle powers forming spheres of influence.
- •Speaking at the Sagarmanthan conference, Nasheed compared this potential trend to the 19th-century European division of Africa during the Berlin Conference.
- •He highlighted worries that middle powers might marginalize smaller countries like the Maldives in a multipolar world.
- •Nasheed emphasized the importance of the United Nations surviving to prevent a return to 18th and 19th-century colonial-style world orders.
Key Questions Answered
Mohamed Nasheed expressed concerns that middle powers might carve out exclusive spheres of influence reminiscent of the 19th-century Berlin Conference where European powers divided Africa, potentially leaving smaller nations without a voice in global affairs.
Middle powers are generally recognized as nations with significant economic, diplomatic, and military influence that lack the global weight of superpowers like the US, China, Russia, or France, and frequently include countries such as India, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the UAE.
Nasheed shared his remarks during a session at the 'Sagarmanthan' conference, which was jointly organized by the Observer Research Foundation and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
