New Delhi, June 10: The President of Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, met with the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhavan today. President Murmu welcomed President Muizzu, conveying her greetings to the new government and the people of Maldives.
She expressed confidence that Maldives would continue the path of prosperity and development under President Muizzu’s leadership. The two leaders highlighted the longstanding and multifaceted ties between their countries, focusing on bilateral cooperation in areas such as people-to-people linkages, capacity building, economic and trade relations, and development cooperation.
President Murmu expressed hope that India-Maldives relations would continue to strengthen in the coming years.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar called upon President Muizzu. In a tweet, Jaishankar said, “Delighted to call on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives in New Delhi. Look forward to India and Maldives working together @MMuizzu.”
Additionally, the Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif, met with President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vice President Afif attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Indian government held on June 9, 2024. President Murmu reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Seychelles in its developmental aspirations and enhancing people-to-people connections and security cooperation, guided by Vision SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region. Vice President Afif conveyed the greetings of President Wavel Ramkalawan and the people of Seychelles to President Murmu, expressing happiness on his first official visit to India. The leaders discussed India’s developmental partnership and capacity-building assistance in Seychelles, as well as long-standing defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. They agreed to continue working together to strengthen bilateral ties for mutual benefit.
The Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, also called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Murmu emphasised that Nepal is a priority partner under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and conveyed India’s commitment to strengthening its unique ties. They discussed ways to advance developmental initiatives across various sectors in Nepal, benefiting the people of both countries.
In addition, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, met with President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Murmu fondly recalled her successful state visit to Mauritius as the Chief Guest for the National Day celebrations in March earlier this year, and her interactions with the Mauritian leadership and people. She reaffirmed that Mauritius is an important maritime partner of India in the Indian Ocean Region, as part of Vision SAGAR and India’s commitment to advancing the shared vision of peace, security, and growth in the Indian Ocean Region. Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress in various sectors of bilateral cooperation and agreed to continue working together to deepen the unique and multifaceted India-Mauritius partnership.