Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, the Foreign Minister of Maldives, made his first official visit to India since assuming his role in September of last year. During this visit, as detailed in a press release by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he held talks with Dr. S. Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs, to discuss the multifaceted aspects of their countries’ cooperation. The dialogue included revisiting priorities established during President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit to India in October 2024.
Both ministers pledged to maintain close cooperation in bilateral and international contexts, focusing on shared interests. In their discussions in New Delhi, they noted the economic collaboration and the ongoing projects made possible by Indian grants and lines of credit.
Minister Khaleel thanked India for its aid in addressing the Maldives’ fiscal challenges and recognised the countries’ joint efforts in expanding economic, trade, and investment relations, alongside India’s pivotal role in the Maldives’ socio-economic development.
The importance of discovering new ways to strengthen the Maldives-India partnership was highlighted by both ministers. Concluding the meeting, they signed the High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) Memorandum of Understanding, marking the start of the third phase of projects intended to benefit communities at the grassroots level.
