New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday described his meeting with the visiting Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid as “warm and productive”.
Shahid arrived on Tuesday in New Delhi on a two-day visit to India.
“A warm and productive meeting today with FM @abdulla_shahid of Maldives. Encouraged to learn of the steady progress in our development partnership. It is directly contributing to the economic growth and social welfare of our neighbour,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.
“Shared perspectives on the stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region and how our collaboration advances those goals,” he further tweeted.
Jaishankar described the meeting as a good day for ‘Neighborhood First and Security and Growth For All in the Indian Ocean Region’ (SAGAR) policy of India.
The Maldives foreign 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, external affairs ministry sources said.
Maldives is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean region and occupies a special place in the government’s ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ policy and the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.