Rajnath, Maldives Prez discuss issues to further strengthen ties

MALE [Maldives]: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Maldives, called on the President of the island country Ibrahim Mohamed on Tuesday and discussed a wide range of issues to further strengthen ties between the two South Asian nations.

"Excellent meeting with HEP Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the President's Office in Male. We discussed a wide range of issues to further strengthen the relations between India and Maldives," Singh tweeted on Tuesday.

Rajnath Singh on Monday reached the Maldives on a three-day official visit. The Defence Minister on Monday attended a dinner hosted by his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Didi.

At the dinner, a cultural programme was organised, emblematic of the close cultural ties between India and Maldives.

"H.E. @MariyaDidi hosted a dinner to honour her visiting Indian counterpart H.E. @rajnathsingh. Min Didi reiterated that tonight's dinner was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of partnership and to renew their commitment to strengthen cooperation and collaboration," Maldives Defence Ministry tweeted.

Singh also met the archipelago's Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid on Monday.

"Happy to have met with Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid in Male today," Singh tweeted.

Earlier, Singh paid tribute to fallen heroes at the '3rd November Memorial' flag mounting ceremony. He was accompanied by Mariya Didi. In tune with India's commitment to capacity building of friendly countries and partners in the region, Rajnath Singh will gift one Fast Patrol Vessel ship and a Landing Craft to the Maldives National Defence Forces.

During his stay, the Defence Minister will also visit the ongoing project sites in the country and interact with the Indian diaspora. India and the Maldives are working closely to effectively address shared challenges, including maritime security, terrorism, radicalisation, piracy, trafficking, organised crime and natural disasters.

India's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) along with its 'Neighbourhood First' policy as well as Maldives' 'India First' policy seek to work together to jointly develop the capabilities within the Indian Ocean Region.