Foreign Minister Khaleel departs for India on official visit

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel, departed today on an official two-day visit to India to lead the second meeting of the High-Level Core Group (HLCG) between the Maldives and India.

The meeting is scheduled for May 26, and will be held at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

HLCG was established to implement the “Maldives and India: Vision for Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership”, a strategic framework agreed upon by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting in October 2024.

This second HLCG meeting will focus on a wide range of key bilateral cooperation areas, including transport and connectivity, agriculture, fisheries, trade and economic affairs, health, people-to-people linkages, capacity building and training, as well as defence and security collaboration.

The inaugural HLCG meeting was held in Male' on January 29.

During his visit, Minister Khaleel is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Jaishankar.

The two ministers will review the overall progress of Maldives–India relations and exchange views on pressing regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Minister Khaleel is accompanied by a high-level Maldivian delegation consisting of senior officials from the President’s Office, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.