Minister of External Affairs of India Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has called on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
During the meeting held at the President's Office, President Solih warmly received the Minister, who is currently in Maldives to attend the 4th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) at Paradise Island Resort and discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries.
President Solih congratulated Minister Jaishankar on his attainment of cabinet rank and thanked him for the work to strengthen bilateral relations in his previous capacity as the Foreign Secretary. Further, the president expressed his condolences on the passing of his predecessor Sushma Swaraj commenting that she had been a public servant of the highest calibre and acknowledging the great loss to India by her passing.
The president and the minister discussed the many areas in which the Maldives and India cooperate bilaterally, encompassing socio-economic development, trade, security and regional governance, which have been further facilitated by the numerous agreements and memorandum of understandings signed between Maldives and India. They also noted the ongoing 4th Edition of the IOC provides a wonderful opportunity to explore new avenues for engagement.
Minister Jaishankar thanked the president for his remarks and reciprocated his sentiments, stating his firm commitment to maintaining the excellent relations with the Maldives and positively noted the reinvigoration of bilateral friendship between the two countries. He noted his satisfaction that the ongoing IOC is being attended by dignitaries from across the wide expanse of the Indian Ocean Region rather than from just South Asian countries, underscoring the region's increasing global importance.