India’s foreign secretary to visit Maldives next month

India’s foreign secretary, Harsh Shringla is to expected to visit the Maldives next month.

Indian news outlets report that Shringla will visit the Maldives on November 10, making it his third official visit outside the country since appointment in January; he has visited Bangladesh and Myanmar amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maldivian officials have yet to announce the trip.

While this will be Shringla’s first visit to the Maldives, he met with the country’s then-High Commissioner to India, Aishath Mohamed Didi in February, before she returned to the country to assume the office of Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services.

India has provided various assistance to the Maldives amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including repatriation of Maldivians stranded abroad as well as by sending medicines, rapid response team and other necessities.

In September, the Indian government handed over USD 250 million to the Maldives, as budgetary support to mitigate the economic impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, making it the largest single donor assistance the island nation has received.

While the financial assistance package was provided in response to an urgent request made by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was announced in August during a virtual meeting between Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishanakar.

The aid is to be used to “support the financing of the revenue gap, and meet the government’s immediate financing needs.”

Various other projects were also announced during the virtual meeting, including the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) and an “air bubble” between both nations.