The Speaker of Parliament, Abdul Raheem Abdulla concluded his official visit to India and returned to the capital Male’ on Saturday.
The Speaker’s visit from 10-14 February was at an invitation from the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
During the visit Speaker Abdul Raheem paid a courtesy call on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla where the two speakers discussed the long-standing friendship between the Maldives and India and emphasised avenues for enhancing parliamentary cooperation.
The Speaker thanked the Lok Sabha Speaker highlighting the ongoing training programs conducted by the Lok Sabha for Maldives’ Parliament Secretariat staff under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parliaments.
He also requested further support in further developing the library and archives of the Maldives Parliament and he also expressed gratitude for India's continued assistance.
Speaker Om Birla reaffirmed India's readiness to share its expertise in parliamentary operations, particularly digital innovations and training through the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE).
Speaker Abdul Raheem had also paid a courtesy call on the Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, during the visit.
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing cooperation between the legislatures of the Maldives and India. Discussions also covered future collaboration between the two legislatures.
Vice President Dhankhar had reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting the Maldives and welcomed the members of the Maldives-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Maldivian delegation. He expressed his dedication to maintaining and further strengthening the close ties between the two countries.
Speaker Abdul Raheem expressed his gratitude for India’s continued assistance and extended an official invitation to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha to visit the Maldives.