External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has stated that India will continue to foster its relationship with the Maldives and find useful means of showing goodwill. He described the Maldives as “no ordinary neighbour” of India on Saturday.
During his three-day official visit, Jaishankar also spoke with the Indian diaspora in Male, explaining how India appreciates its diaspora and the influence that people of Indian descent have worldwide.
“We say ‘Neighbourhood First’ today under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We give a lot of attention to the countries of the Indian Ocean. We have a policy called SAGAR. But I do want to say that Maldives is not just an ordinary neighbour,” Jaishankar said.
The goal of his visit—the first high-level trip from India—is to rebuild the bilateral ties that were damaged when pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office last year.
Over 27,000 Indians are living in the Maldives, according to the Indian embassy in the nation. They are well-represented in the fields of education and health.
Jaishankar met with President Muizzu prior to the diaspora event, during which he reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to strengthening India-Maldives links for the benefit of the people living in both nations as well as the surrounding area.
He also virtually inaugurated and handed over to the Maldives a huge water and sanitation project worth $110 million funding from India at 28 islands covering seven per cent of the nation’s population.
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