Discussions have been held on the enhanced bilateral relations between Maldives and India.

The discussions took place on Friday, after Minister of External Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid a courtesy call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the Kigali Marriott Hotel in Rwanda.

President Solih and Dr. Jaishankar discussed the bilateral ties between Maldives and India and went on to shed the spotlight on their mutual commitment to improve cooperation in areas of mutual interest and benefit in the years to come.

Noting that the friendship between Maldives and India is rooted in cultural and historical links as well as shared values, the Maldivian president stated that strengthening foreign relations is a key priority of his administration.

The meeting also saw the Maldivian president acknowledging and appreciating the many contributions the government of India has made to the development of Maldives.

Broad discussions were also held on many other topics of mutual interest.

At the meeting President Solih and Dr. Jaishankar reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in the coming years.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed, accompanied by a high-level delegation of government officials, are currently on an official visit to Rwanda to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022.

The president departed from Velana International Airport (VIA) on Wednesday and arrived in Rwanda on Thursday. The Maldivian president was received by the Minister of Local Government, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi upon his arrival at Kigali International Airport.

As part of the visit, President Solih has been holding bilateral meetings with other world leaders to strengthen the Maldives’ role in the international community, advance its shared interests, and contribute to resolving global issues on the sidelines of the meeting.

According to the President’s Office, the president’s visit to Rwanda mirrors the incumbent administration’s commitment to engage with the international community, especially with the Commonwealth member states, in promoting democracy, human rights, good governance, multilateralism and world peace.

The incumbent administration seeks to engage in the exchange of expertise and assistance with regard to building inclusive, resilient and environmentally conscious communities through such multilateral forums.

The world leaders will also be engaging in private discussions at the Commonwealth Leaders Retreat, regarding collaboration on the global platform and Commonwealth priorities.

CHOGM 2022 is the first meeting to be held since the island nation rejoined to the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 February 2020.