Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted with an affectionate hug from Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu when he arrived at the airport in Male on Friday.
Maldives Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, Finance Minister and Minister of Homeland Security also were present when PM Modi touched down in Male.
PM Modi stated that he is "deeply touched" by Muizzu's act of visiting the airport to welcome him and is confident that the relations between two countries will reach new heights of advancement in the days to come.
"Arrived in Male. Highly moved by the courtesy of President Muizzu to personally receive me at the airport. I am sure India-Maldives friendship will touch newer heights of progress in the days ahead," PM Modi tweeted on X.
Chants of ‘Vande Mataram‘ echoed as PM Modi reached Maldives for a two-day State visit. PM Modi, who visited Maldives at the invitation of President Muizzu, will participate in the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations as the Guest of Honour.
This is PM Modi’s third visit to the Maldives and notably the first by any head of state or government since Muizzu assumed office.
Previously, on July 22, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated that PM Modi's visit will not only further help strengthen excellent relations between the two countries but also help boost peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
"The Maldives relationship is wide-ranging and multifaceted. It has received attention at the highest leadership levels and we feel that this visit by the Prime Minister will further serve to enhance these robust relationship ties and make contributions towards peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean Region that we both share," Foreign Secretary Misri said at a special media briefing.
The two leaders will also review progress in the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a 'Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership', agreed upon during the State Visit of the President of Maldives to India in October 2024.
"We have always been the first on hand to respond to the needs of Maldives in times whenever it has faced crisis, natural or man-made. There has been a robust, political relationship which has been strengthened by regular visits at high-levels," said Misri.
"This shared vision, so to say, has become the guiding force for our relationship. This year itself, in the first half of the year, we have had almost half a dozen ministerial level visits from the Maldives. The speaker of Maldives Parliament came to India. In fact, the first outreach this year that the External Affairs Minister had was with the Foreign Minister of Maldives," he said.
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