EAM S Jaishankar meets Maldivian counterpart to forge closer bilateral ties

Male: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zammer here to discuss all areas of bilateral cooperation to deepen the partnership between India and the archipelagic nation.

Jaishankar arrived here on a three-day official visit to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives, the first high-level trip from India after the country's pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu assumed office last year.

Upon his arrival, Jaishankar said the Maldives occupies an important place in India’s vision of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and that he was looking forward to “fruitful engagements” with the leadership of the Maldives.

Soon after landing at the Velana International Airport, where he was greeted by Foreign Minister Zameer, Jaishankar visited the Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We will be continuing our discussions on all areas of our bilateral cooperation, reinforcing our shared commitment to deepening our partnership,” Zameer said in a post on X soon after the meeting.

“We are committed to strengthening the existing cooperation and friendship between our two countries,” he added along with posting some photos of the meeting.

Jaishankar’s three-day visit till August 11, at the invitation of his counterpart, comes weeks after President Muizzu’s visit to India in June to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November 2023.

Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians by May 10, the mutually agreed date.

This is the first official visit of Jaishankar to the Maldives since assuming office for a second term in June 2024. His previous visit was in January 2023.

Jaishankar is also expected to pay a courtesy call to President Muizzu.

Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour and an important partner in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and our Vision 'SAGAR', that is, Security and Growth for All in the Region.