India and the Maldives has held the third round of their Consular Dialogue in New Delhi, focusing on strengthening people-to-people exchanges and improving cooperation on consular and visa-related issues.
The Maldivian delegation, at the dialogue was led by Aishath Azeema, High Commissioner of the Maldives to India, while the Indian delegation was led by Dr Binoy George, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs of India. The Maldivian delegation also included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.
The India–Maldives Consular Dialogue mechanism was instituted in 2017 with the objective of strengthening people-to-people contacts through a regular and structured channel of engagement on consular, visa, and mutual legal assistance matters between the two countries. The second round of the Dialogue was held in Male’ in 2018.
During the Dialogue, both sides reiterated their commitment to further promoting people-to-people exchanges and to strengthening bilateral cooperation in consular affairs. The delegations held wide-ranging and constructive discussions on enhancing coordination and cooperation on consular issues and visa facilitation. Both sides also underscored the importance of continued engagement through regular Consular Dialogues to further strengthen bilateral relations.