External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, currently on a three-day visit to Malé, met with Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday. Sharing the details on X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar said, "Privileged to call on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Conveyed greetings of PM Narendra Modi. Committed to deepening India-Maldives ties for the benefit of our people and the region."
Earlier on Saturday, Jaishankar also met with Maldivian Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon. In another post on X, the EAM provided details of their high-level discussions, which focused on strengthening India-Maldives defence and security cooperation, joint initiatives for maritime security, and maintaining peace and stability in the region.
"A very good meeting with Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon. Discussed India-Maldives defence and security cooperation, joint initiatives for maritime security, and our shared interest in maintaining peace and stability in the region," Jaishankar tweeted.
'Efforts to bolster ties'
The EAM’s visit and subsequent bilateral meetings with the top Maldivian leadership are seen as part of efforts to strengthen the India-Maldives partnership, which has faced challenges since the election of the Maldives' pro-China President, Mohamed Muizzu. Muizzu, who took office last year, initially demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives. However, an agreement was reached, replacing the Indian military presence with civilian personnel.
'About the present visit'
Jaishankar’s visit is his first to the Maldives since President Muizzu’s government took office. It is viewed by experts as a commitment by both nations to revamp ties, with a significant emphasis on bilateral meetings.
Therefore, in line with the same, on Thursday, August 9, Jaishankar also held productive discussions with Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer in Malé. Their agenda covered a wide range of topics, including development partnerships, capacity building, bilateral and regional security, trade, and digital cooperation.
In addition, Jaishankar and Zameer jointly inaugurated six High Impact Projects focused on areas such as street lighting, mental health, children’s speech therapy, and special education. They also witnessed the signing of an MoU between the National Payments Corporation of India and the Maldivian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, which will introduce a digital payment system in the Maldives. The visit also saw the renewal of an MoU between the National Centre for Good Governance and the Civil Services Commission to train an additional 1,000 Maldivian civil service officers.
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