Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid visits India

He was accompanied by Ibrahim Ameer, the Minister of Finance, H.E.

Fayyaz Ismail, the Minister of Economic Development, Ahmed Khaleel,
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed,
Foreign Secretary.

He held bilateral consultations with Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs
Minister on 26 November 2018.

He will call on Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister the same day.

He will call on Rashtrapatiji on 27 November 2018. CII will host a
business interaction meeting for the Minister and his delegation.

"The Foreign Ministers agreed that State Visit of President Solih to
India will take place on December 17, 2018. In this regard, both
Ministers held wide consultations to lay the groundwork for this
visit," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

EAM reiterated that India attaches highest importance to its
relationship with the Maldives which is marked by trust, transparency,
mutual understanding and sensitivity.

She said that that in line with Government of India’s Neighbourhood
First policy, India stands ready to fully support the Government of
Maldives in its socio-economic development.

FM Abdulla Shahid reiterated his Government’s "India First” policy and
said that his government looks forward to working closely with the
government of India on all issues.

He reaffirmed Maldives’ special, close and friendly relations with
India. Minister Abdulla also reiterated that the government of
Maldives will be sensitive towards India’s security and strategic
concerns.

EAM welcomed Maldives’ decision to rejoin the Commonwealth and
expressed India’s support for it. She also welcomed Maldives into the
Indian Ocean Rim Association as its newest member.

Both sides held discussions on how to strengthen the development
partnership between both countries. India assured the Maldives of
support in implementing its development priorities and in ensuring
fiscal and budgetary stability.

The Ministers recognized that, given the historical and cultural links
between both countries, people-to-people contact between both
countries was important. In this regard, they agreed to hold the
meeting of the bilateral Consular Dialogue at the earliest.

The Ministers discussed security and defence matters including
ongoing projects and new areas of cooperation. In this regard, they
agreed to hold the next meeting of the Defence Cooperation Dialogue
between both countries in the first half of December 2018.

They also discussed ways and means to expand and diversify the
bilateral economic and commercial relations. In this regard, they
agreed that the private sector needs to be encouraged to play a
leading role.

Maldivian FM invited EAM to pay a bilateral visit to the Maldives
which she agreed. They also decided to hold the next meeting of the
Joint Commission at the level of Foreign Ministers at the earliest.