Maldives President Muizzu Arrives In India On First State Visit

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu arrived in New Delhi late Sunday afternoon for a five-day state visit. This is his first visit since taking office. He came at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. During his stay, he will meet with President Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and senior Indian officials. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will greet him later today. A ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan is set for Monday.

Tributes and Bilateral Discussions

Muizzu will pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat before meeting PM Modi at Hyderabad House. He plans to meet Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and President Murmu later on Monday. Accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation, he will visit Agra on Tuesday.

Commitment to Strengthening Ties

“President Muizzu aims to enhance ties with nations vital for Maldives’ growth,” his office stated. He seeks to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. He will also visit Mumbai and Bengaluru for business engagements.

Earlier this year, Muizzu attended PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on June 9, 2024. He met PM Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized the visit’s importance for India-Maldives relations.

In August, EAM Jaishankar visited the Maldives. This was his first visit since resuming office in June. He had also visited in January 2023, highlighting the Maldives’ significance in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. Despite past tensions, India continues to provide development assistance to the Maldives, benefiting thousands.

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