President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday had a meeting with her counterpart in Government of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
This was Murmu's first meeting with a foreign leader after she took over as President of India on July 25 last.
Welcoming Solih at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Murmu said that she was happy to receive a close friend of India and an eminent leader under whose leadership Maldives had emerged as a stable and prosperous nation.
The President said that Maldives was a major partner and close friend of India in the Indian Ocean Region. The peoples of the two countries had enjoyed strong cultural, economic and trade ties for centuries. Maldives had a special place in India's 'neighbourhood first policy'. She was happy to note that India's need-based financial and development assistance is supporting Maldives Government's development priorities, according to a press release issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The President said that the rapid expansion of India-Maldives development cooperation, defence and security initiatives, economic ties and people-to-people contact augured well for India’s relationship with the Government and people of Maldives. She appreciated the courage and perseverance of the government and people of Maldives during the COVID-19 outbreak. She was happy to note that the strong India-Maldives cooperation during the pandemic had been lauded as a model for the entire region, said a spokesperson of Rashtrapati Bhavan.