India and Maldives on Sunday exchanged three agreements in the presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid
India and Maldives on Sunday exchanged three agreements on visa facilitation for diplomatic and official passport holders, development cooperation, and renewable energy in the presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid.
Maldives' Foreign Ministry took to Twitter to share the news, saying, "India and Maldives add new dimensions to age-old ties by exchanging 3 agreements in the presence of FM @abdulla_shahid and External Affairs Minister @SushmaSwaraj on visa facilitation for diplomatic and official passport holders, development cooperation, and renewable energy."
During the joint ministerial meeting with Shahid, the leaders also discussed ways to enhance cooperation bilaterally on a variety of issues, including consular issues, capacity development, health cooperation, consular issues, capacity building, trade, investment, economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people contact.
"The relationship between Maldives and India is indeed special," Shahid said after the meeting was concluded.
Later on, Swaraj also called on Speaker of Parliament Qasim Ibrahim.
The meeting also reviewed the progress made on the commitments announced during the State visit of President Ibrahim Solih to India in November last year.
Swaraj, who arrived in Male on Sunday for a two-day visit to the island nation at the invitation of Shahid, is accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and other senior officials, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
During her visit, Sushma Swaraj is also slated to participate in delegation-level meetings with the Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi, Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer, Minister of National Planning and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam, Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Aishath Nahula, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Yumna Maumoon, Minister of Environment, Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan, and Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail.
On the second day of her visit, Swaraj met President Solih and Minister of Home Affairs Sheikh Imran Abdulla.
Swaraj discussed with Abdulla steps to continue the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship.
Swaraj arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit, the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the island nation after the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power in November last year.
Swaraj held talks with her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid on the first day of the visit.
"Good meeting between EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Maldives Minister of Home Affairs @ShimranAb on the second day of her visit to the Maldives. Discussed steps to continue the upward trajectory in our bilateral relationship," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
Swaraj will also call on President Solih on Monday.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and a number of senior officials are accompanying Swaraj during the trip.
Officials said it will be the first full-fledged bilateral visit at the political level from India to the Maldives after the new government assumed office.
They said Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Maldives in November only to attend Solih's swearing-in ceremony and no substantive discussion had taken place then.
Sources said the Maldives was aware of Indian government's limitations due to the election code of conduct and that Swaraj's visit will be to enhance overall ties which came under strain during the presidentship of Abdulla Yameen, who was known to be close to China.
Relations between India and the Maldives deteriorated after the then President Abdulla Yameen imposed emergency on February 5 last year.
India had criticised his decision and asked his government to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners. The emergency lasted for 45 days.
Solih became president in November after he defeated Yameen in presidential elections.
Swaraj's visit to the Maldives is aimed at strengthening the "close and friendly relations" between the two nations, after ties between New Delhi and Male came under strain during former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen's five-year rule, which saw him cozying up with China for various development projects, cracking down on dissent and imposing a state of emergency by jailing opposition leaders.
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