On Friday, April16, Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives visited India for working purpose from 15-16 April.
During his visit to New Delhi, Foreign Minister Shahid met the External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S Jaishankar today for discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Abdulla Shahid interacted to media and talks about Maldives’ relation with India and China. He said, “In international relations there is no comparison. For countries like Maldives, we have only friends. We don’t compare friends. But India has always been first responder & our best friend.”
He further added– “We believe that the Indian Ocean is a zone of peace & security that is essential to be stable, for the prosperity of Maldives. We are working with all our friends to make sure that it remains the same,” as quoted by ANI.
We believe that the Indian Ocean is a zone of peace & security that is essential to be stable, for the prosperity of Maldives. We are working with all our friends to make sure that it remains the same: Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Affairs Minister of Maldives to ANI
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2021
Abdulla Shahid expressed his pleasure on India-China relationship and added– “I am very pleased that there has been more dialogue in India-China relationship. Confident that with dialogue, India & China – both economic powers of the world now – will be able to avoid any confrontation. I trust their leadership to do the right thing.”
Foreign Minister Shahid also participated in the Raisina Dialogue in virtual mode in sessions on “Financing for Sun” and “Global public health after the Pandemic”.
Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and occupies a central and special place in the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ – Security and Growth for All in the Region. Foreign Minister Shahid’s visit is expected to lend further momentum to the close bilateral cooperation between the two countries.