President Muizzu meets with India's Minister of External Affairs

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has met with India's Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during his official State visit to India.

This was the President's first meeting of the visit after arriving in India this afternoon alongside First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a high level delegation from Maldives.

Jaishankar welcomed President Muizzu to India. He expressed confidence that the President's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will further enhance bilateral ties.

The President and the Minister discussed fostering positive relations between the tow countries.

They further reviewed the progress of ongoing projects and initiatives in Maldives which are being conducted through the assistance of the Government of India.

The discussions also went on to explore possible future avenues of cooperation in various fields which could of mutual benefit, such as in housing, healthcare, fisheries, agriculture and tourism.

The President, this evening, also met with Maldivians residing in Delhi. The meeting was held at the hotel where he is staying.

The official welcoming ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow. Official talks will also be held between President Muizzu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Although the two countries will be signing a number of agreements, details of these have not been disclosed as of yet.

In an interview with BBC ahead of the trip, the President said that India is a key partner in Maldives' development. He expressed confidence that India will provide assistance in overcoming the economic difficulties currently faced by the Maldives.

In addition to Delhi, the President will be visiting Mumbai and Bangalore during this trip.