Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid arrives on two-day visit to India

Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid arrived here on a two-day visit during which he will review bilateral relations in a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "The visit will be an opportunity to review progress in bilateral relations & strengthen our comprehensive development partnership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Both ministers will also witness exchange of project development agreements under Indian grant assistance, the ministry said in a statement. Shahid will also deliver the 43rd Sapru House Lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). The Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy', the statement said. The Maldivian minister's visit is in continuation of the series of high-level visits from both sides and is expected to lend further momentum to the substantive bilateral cooperation between the two countries, it said.