President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has expressed his satisfaction with the commencement of several significant projects in Addu City. He made the statement during a meeting with the Minister of State for External Affairs of India V. Muraleedharan in Gan, Addu.
During the meeting, President Solih extended his condolences to the government of India and the affected families following the tragic train accident in Odisha State. He reaffirmed the solidarity of the Maldives with India during this challenging period and conveyed wishes for a successful recovery operation. State Minister Muraleedharan expressed gratitude to President Solih for his message of condolence and unwavering support. He also requested Muraleedharan to convey his warm regards to the President of India Droupadi Murmu and the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
During the meeting, President Solih specifically highlighted the Gan International Airport (GIA) expansion project and the land reclamation project in Addu, which have been made possible with the support and cooperation of the Indian government. He emphasised that the GIA expansion project holds immense potential to reshape the country's economic landscape, facilitating the establishment of a robust economic hub in the Southern region. He noted that the agreements signed between the Maldives and India under the High Impact Community Development Project (HICP) scheme during State Minister Muraleedharan's visit will foster greater collaboration and strengthen the ties between the two countries. He expressed sincere appreciation to the government of India for its continued support in diverse domains such as infrastructure development, community empowerment, capacity building, healthcare sector advancement, sports cooperation, and tourism.
The meeting concluded with President Solih and State Minister Muraleedharan reiterating their shared determination to bolster bilateral relations through increased cooperation and people-to-people contact between the Maldives and India.