Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, on Monday, reiterated the 'India-First Policy' of Maldives and stated that the country was eager to cooperate closely with India regarding a range of issues.
Minister Shahid also guaranteed that the administration would be considerate regarding the strategic and security concerns of India.
India's Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, who is currently on a two-day state visit to Maldives, echoed Minister Shahid's sentiments and stated that India prioritized bilateral relations between the two countries. Minister Swaraj described the relationship between Maldives and India as being marked by trust, transparency, mutual understanding and sensitivity.
Additionally, Minister Swaraj guaranteed that India was fully prepared to support socio-economic development initiatives launched by Maldives in accordance with the Indian government's neighbourhood first policy.
Maldives and India signed three agreements concerning development cooperation visa facilitation for diplomatic or official passport holders and renewable energy on Sunday.
During the course of the trip, Minister Swaraj also visited Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), the state-run hospital developed by Indian aid. She dedicated the renovation of IGMH to the people of Maldives and announced that India would provide equipment and conduct capacity building programmes in order to further the advancement of the Maldivian health sector.
The Foreign Minister also emphasized and expressed appreciation of the Indian government's continued support in developing Maldives' human resources and providing scholarship opportunities. Notably, Shahid highlighted the extra 1000 slots allocated for Maldivian citizens participating in training programs in India.
Discussing the importance of maintaining and strengthening the security of the Indian Ocean Region through cooperation, Minister Swaraj thanked Maldives for its support against all forms of terrorism. In response, Minister Shahid reiterated Maldives' commitment to combat cross-border terrorism and criminal acts including piracy, organized crime, narcotic drugs and human trafficking.
During their discourse, the two ministers agreed that an effective multilateral system was crucial in tackling global issues and the need to reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the General Assembly and other main UN bodies. Maldives also restated its backing of India’s bid to attain permanent membership of UNSC as well as its candidature for a non-permanent seat from 2020-21.
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