Indian FM reminds Maldivian counterpart of support provided over the years

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Subramaniyam Jaishankar, on Thursday, reminded his Maldivian counterpart, Moosa Zameer, of the numerous assistance India has provided to Maldives over the years.

Zameer travelled to New Delhi on Wednesday, in the first official visit to India by a high-ranking official from the new Maldivian administration, which took office in November last year.

He met with Jaishankar for talks on Thursday.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar extended a “very, very warm welcome” to Zameer on his first visit to the country in his current capacity, which he said provides an opportunity to discuss bilateral ties and chart out future directions.

“As close and proximate neighbors, the development of our ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity,” he said.

“As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in terms of our Neighborhood First policy and SAGAR vision. I hope that our meeting today will enable us to strengthen the convergence of our perspectives in various domains.”

He said that India has been a key provider of development assistance to the Maldives and the projects have benefited the lives of the people of the country and contributed directly to the quality of life.

“They range from infrastructure projects and social initiatives to medical evacuation and health facilities,” he said

Jaishankar noted that India has also extended financial support to Maldives on favorable terms in the past and that India has been the first to respond provide assistance to Maldives on various occasions.

 “Our cooperation has also enhanced this security and wellbeing of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training,” he said.

He stressed that close partnerships with neighbors is of great value as the world is passing through a volatile and uncertain time.

 “The world is today passing through a volatile and uncertain period. In such times, as we saw during COVID, during natural disasters and economic difficulties, close partnerships with neighbors are of great value. So, today we will be reviewing the various dimensions of our ties. It is in our common interest that we reach an understanding of how best we take our relationship forward,” he said.

Zameer’s visit to India comes amid strained ties with Maldives under President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, and as India said that it will replace its military personnel from Maldives before May 10.

During the visit, the two sides will discuss bilateral and regional issues, and seek ways to strengthen relations.