The Maldivian president has ended his official visit to India.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih returned from his four-day trip to the neighboring country on Thursday.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih departed to India on August 1 and was received by Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, the Indian Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and senior officials of the Indian External Affairs Ministry upon arrival at the Receptorium Air Force Station in Palam, New Delhi.

A delegation of senior government officials and representatives of leading businesses accompanied President Solih during the visit.

The president and Maldivian delegation were greeted with a traditional performance.

The visit comes upon the invitation of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The president and delegation visited New Delhi and Mumbai during the visit.

During the visit the president engaged in numerous high-level discussions with officials from the Indian government. The discussions carried the purpose of further solidifying the strong friendship and development partnership between Maldives and India.

Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. Subrahmahniyam Jaishankar called on the president during the trip and expressed commitment to further accelerate the ongoing projects under the collaboration between Maldives and India.

The meeting saw both men discussing the exemplary bilateral ties between Maldives and India and shedding light on the strong mutual resolve to further strengthen close cooperation in areas of mutual interests.

During his time in New Delhi, the Maldivian president also held official talks with PM Modi at the Hyderabad House.

At the official discussions, PM Modi stated that Maldives has a “special place” in India’s neighborhood-first policy. The discussion also saw the Maldivian President and Indian PM shedding light on the close bilateral relationship between both countries, which dates back several generations.

President Solih and PM Modi reviewed the progress of past and present cooperation and went on to discuss future cooperation and ways to strengthen existing ties in a number of areas where both countries have mutual agreements.

The official talks also saw PM Modi and President Solih reaffirming their commitment to bolstering the fraternal bonds of friendship between the two countries.

The leaders also held a one-on-one meeting followed by restricted talks between the two governments.

Further, the "Pouring of First Concrete" of the Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP), was also initiated during the visit.

President Solih and PM Modi virtually initiated the pouring of the first concrete of the GMCP during a ceremony held on Tuesday.

The project in question, involves constructing a bridge that links Malé, Villimalé, Thilafushi, and Gulhifalhu. Under the scope of the project, navigation bridges will also be constructed alongside viaducts and on-grade roads.

The project comes under a USD 400 million line of credit from Indian Exim Bank and a USD 100 million grant from the government of India. It was awarded to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, an Indian-based company.

After launching the project, the President and the Prime Minister delivered a joint press statement where they reaffirmed their commitment to the region's shared vision of peace and development.

Further, the governments of Maldives and India also exchanged six significant agreements which mirrored a pivotal point of progress in the bilateral relationship between Maldives and India. The agreements ranged from capacity building and training to financing pivotal development projects in the Maldives.

PM Modi also hosted an official luncheon today in honor of President Solih.

President Solih also signed the Visitor's Book after the luncheon, held at the Hyderabad House.

The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhaghat Singh Koshyari also hosted a special lunch in honor of President Solih.

The Maldivian president also paid a courtesy call on the President of India Droupadi Murmu, where he expressed hope that bilateral relations between the Maldives and India would strengthen during her tenure. The President also stressed the importance of collaborative efforts for the progress of the peoples of both countries.

The president also addressed the India-Maldives Business Forum in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, where he assured that Maldives will facilitate a conducive environment for foreign investments.

He also visited the Bombay Stock Exchange where discussions were held with the board members and other management staff of the Bombay Stock Exchange about investment and capital market development opportunities.

The visit also saw the Maldivian president attending the India-Maldives Business Forum held in Mumbai, hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

He also toured the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai.

The Maldivian president’s visit symbolized the close relationship between the two countries.

The neighboring country has been an important partner in the island nation’s socioeconomic development. The Indian government has assisted in a number of key development projects initiated by the Maldivian government, as a result of this partnership.

The friendship has significantly progressed in recent years, with several major development projects currently underway in the Maldives with the assistance of the Indian government. Relations between the neighbors had soured during the previous administration of Former President Abdulla Yameen.