Maldives president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih meets PM Modi in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday at the Hyderabad House here during his four-day visit to India.

Solih arrived in India at the invitation of PM Modi and both the leaders are expected to review the progress in the wide-ranging partnership between the two countries.

He is accompanied by a high-level official and business delegation.

"A warm welcome to a close friend and maritime neighbour! President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of Maldives arrives in New Delhi for an official visit. An opportunity to nurture the unwavering friendship between our two countries and lend further momentum to the multifaceted partnership," MEA tweeted.

During the visit, President Solih will meet the President and hold talks with the Prime Minister. The External Affairs Minister will call on President Solih.

Besides official engagements in New Delhi, President Solih will be holding a discussion with an Indian business delegation in Delhi. During this visit, President Solih will also visit Mumbai, Maharashtra and participate in business events.

Maldives is India's key neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and occupies a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy. In recent years, the partnership has witnessed rapid growth in all areas of cooperation.

For India, the Maldives has always been a close and important maritime neighbour. Multifaceted ties between the two countries have strengthened despite the pandemic-related disruptions.

India's "Neighborhood First" policy and Maldives's "India First" policy work in tandem to tackle shared concerns and advance mutual interests.

Back in March, President Solih highlighted the positive role played by India in the country's affairs in the last two years.

In a national address, Solih thanked the Indian government for its role in helping his country cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, including giving vaccines. Solih mentioned several friendly bilateral partners. However, he singled out New Delhi for assisting the Maldives' Covid-19 response efforts.