Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has stated that the Maldives and India can reach many milestones by working together. She made the remark at the banquet hosted in honour of Minister of Defence of India Rajnath Singh at Kurumba Maldives.
In her speech, Minister Mariya gave her visiting Indian counterpart and his delegation a warm welcome on behalf of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the people of the Maldives and expressed hope that he will get to appreciate the culture of the Maldives during his visit. She also expressed appreciation for the high level of cooperation between the Maldives and India and thanked Minister Rajnath Singh for his assistance.
Additionally, Minister Mariya noted the longstanding ties between the Maldives and India, which are being further strengthened during the administration of President Solih and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She highlighted the efforts being made to establish peace and security in the Indian Ocean region and to respond to the increasing threat of cybercrime and expressed confidence that the Maldives and India will reach many milestones in these efforts by working together.
Speaking at the banquet, Minister Rajnath Singh said that India has provided assistance during times when the Maldives has been affected by various disasters. He also said that the diplomatic relations between the two countries are seeing unprecedented levels of development during the administration of President Solih and that India is providing assistance in the efforts of the government to build infrastructure across the Maldives.
The delegation led by Minister Rajnath Singh was presented with a cultural programme by personnel from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) during the banquet.