The Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has paid a courtesy call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The meeting was held at the VVIP lounge at the Hanimaadhooo International Airport, on Wednesday.

During the meeting, President Solih expressed his appreciation to the minister for attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport expansion project.

The President noted that the would transform the economic landscape of the country and the northern region into an economic hub.

Furthermore, President Solih expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the government of India and its friendly people for the continued assistance to the Maldives.

President Solih and the Indian Minister also discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

As such, both of them emphasized on their commitment to enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as tourism cooperation, business-to-business cooperation focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises and other areas of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation.

The meeting also saw Maldivian President noting the financial and budgetary support provided to the Maldives by the government of India.

Additionally, President Solih highlighted that the Maldives-India friendship is rooted in cultural and historical links and shared values. He added that the Maldives had gained immense benefits under India's "Neighbourhood First Policy" and assured Maldives' continued commitment to upholding its India First Policy.

President Solih and Dr. Jaishankar concluded the meeting by reaffirming their continued commitment to strengthening Maldives-India cooperation in the coming years.

The Maldives and India established diplomatic relations on November 1, 1965.