External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will begin a three-day official visit to the Maldives this Friday. The visit is expected to mark a new chapter in the bilateral ties between the two countries that turned cold ever since President Mohamed Muizzu took over the reins in the strategically vital Indian Ocean archipelago last year.
This will be Jaishankar's first visit to Maldives since he assumed charge for a second consecutive term in June. His earlier visit to the archipelago was January 2023.
Maldives is India's key maritime neighbor and important partner in India's 'Neighbourhood First' Policy and our Vision 'Sagar' i.e. Security and Growth for All in the Region, states an MEA statement, adding that the visit is aimed at strengthening the close partnership between the two countries and to explore avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship further.
The visit of Jaishankar comes just after Maldivian President Muizzu's New Delhi trip to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers.
He is scheduled to call on the President of Maldives during the visit and hold discussions with his Maldivian counterpart, Minister Moosa Zameer, to review progress in bilateral cooperation.
The Maldives Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that both ministers will inaugurate- jointly - projects completed under the High Impact Community Development Projects and the Line of Credit facility from the EXIM Bank of India. They will also witness the signing of Memoranda of Understanding concerning capacity building, commerce, and trade.
In May, Maldives Foreign Minister Zameer visited New Delhi as part of his first official trip, which happened after the complete withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives.
Our cooperation has also contributed to the security and welfare of your country through joint actions, equipment supply, capacity building and training," said Jaishankar during a May 9 meeting. "It is a common interest that we reach an understanding on how best we take our relationship forward.".
It has not stopped repeating the contributions India is making toward Maldivian development, saying that some of those projects that India had funded much improved the lives of large numbers of people in this island nation. Notwithstanding recent strains, India continued extending goodwill through the limited export of essential goods like sugar, wheat, rice, onions, and eggs to the Maldives.
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