A concrete bridge between India and Maldives will raise productive relations

New Delhi, January 11: To enhance the relations between India and Maldives, Foreign Minister of Maldives Mohamed Asim is on the three days visit to India. This will take the relations at more concrete level. During this visit, He met PM Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.

A discussion between the foreign Minister Asim and PM Modi was centered on strengthening of the development partnership between India and Maldives and enhancing defence and security cooperation. During the discussion, the visiting leader extended an invitation to Modi to visit the island nation.

 

Additionally, Foreign Minister Asim met Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and held a productive talk. "Swaraj met Mohamed Asim, Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of the President of Maldives. Both had productive discussions to strengthen bilateral relationship keeping in mind 'India first' policy of Maldives and our policy of 'Neighbourhood first'," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

 

It is understood that the Maldivian leader reiterated that Maldives would not undertake any activity which would harm Indian interests and it would also be conveyed that the country was "sensitive" to India's concerns over peace and security in the Indian Ocean region.

India had already made it clear that it expected that as a close and friendly neighbour, the island nation would be sensitive to its concerns in keeping with its 'India First' policy. The Indian statement had come in response to a query on Maldives-China free trade agreement (FTA)