NEW DELHI, Apr 16: The Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid during his two-day visit to India called on his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on Friday and discussed bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest.
Following the meeting Jaishankar wrote on Twitter, “Welcomed FM @abdulla_shahid of Maldives. Appreciate his participation at Raisina Dialogue. Noted the steady progress in our partnership. Will work closely in the international arena as well.” Following the discussion, Shahid too stated in a tweet post, “A time-tested, all weather friendship Flag of Maldives Flag of India Always a pleasure to meet External Affairs Minister of #India, and my good friend, @DrSJaishankar. We reviewed on-going projects and cooperation in the multilateral arena. He also assured of continued supply of essential commodities.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also participated in two virtual Raisina Dialogue on the topic “Financing for Sun” and “Beyond Covid, Global Public Health after the Pandemic”.
Shahid had enthusiastically tweeted prior to his departure from the Maldives on Wednesday, “Departing to Delhi this afternoon. Looking forward to meeting EAM @DrSJaishankar and continuing our discussions on enhancing the #MaldivesIndiaPartnership. I will also be meeting with some of the non-resident Ambassadors accredited to the Maldives in Delhi, during this visit”.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Maldives “is India’s main maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and holds a central and unique position in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ – Security and Growth for All in the Region. Foreign Minister Shahid’s visit is expected to provide additional impetus to the two countries’ strong bilateral cooperation.”
(Venkatesh Iyer)
