India, Maldives review bilateral cooperation during meeting between EAM Jaishankar, FM Iruthisham Adam
New Delhi, May 14
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met Maldives' Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam, who is on her first official visit to India. The leaders held discussions on the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Sharing the details in a post on X, EAM underscored India's commitment to the progress of Maldives and said, "Good to meet FM Iruthisham Adam of Maldives @IruthishamAdam on her first official visit to India. Underlined our Neighbourhood First policy and reviewed our bilateral cooperation. Reiterated India's commitment to Maldives' progress and development."
In a post on X, FM Adam said that during the bilateral meeting, discussions were held to strengthen the close ties, the people-to-people contact and the longstanding India-Maldives partnership.
"We reaffirmed our commitment to work closely on issues of mutual importance to enhance our relations . The 'Maldives First' Foreign Policy complements India's 'Neighbourhood First' Policy, fostering shared priorities and strengthening cooperation between our two countries", she wrote on X.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also held a meeting with Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam and reaffirmed the strong and special partnership shared by India and the Maldives as both nations mark 60 years of diplomatic ties.
In a post on X, Goyal said that the discussions focused on expediting negotiations for the India-Maldives Free Trade Agreement, advancing the Bilateral Investment Treaty, promoting trade settlements in local currencies, and deepening cooperation across tourism, digital payments, and business-to-business linkages.
"Had a productive meeting with H.E. Ms. @IruthishamAdam, Foreign Minister of Maldives, and reaffirmed the strong and special partnership shared by India and the Maldives as both nations mark 60 years of diplomatic ties. Our discussions focused on expediting negotiations for the India-Maldives Free Trade Agreement, advancing the Bilateral Investment Treaty, promoting trade settlements in local currencies, and deepening cooperation across tourism, digital payments, and business-to-business linkages," he said.
In a post on X, FM Adam underlined how India and Maldives are working together to boost trade and enhance business-to-business engagement between the two countries.
"Reaffirmed the strong and special partnership between the Maldives and India as we observe the 60 years of diplomatic relations at my meeting with the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India, @PiyushGoyal this evening. We agreed to fast track the negotiations between the Maldives and India on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), advancing the Bilateral Investment Treaty, developing trade and currency settlements, digitalization. The importance of working together to boost trade and enhance business-to-business engagement between our two countries was underlined," the Maldives Foreign Minister said.
India and the Maldives have longstanding ties. The Ministry of External Affairs noted in an earlier statement how the two countries share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity.
The relations have been close, cordial and multi-dimensional.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who works in tourism, this is excellent news. Maldives is a major destination for Indian travellers, and deepening cooperation in tourism and digital payments will make travel easier. Also, the bilateral investment treaty will create more jobs for both countries. Hope the FTA gets signed soon!
Interesting to see India and Maldives strengthening ties despite past tensions. The 'Maldives First' and 'Neighbourhood First' policies aligning is a positive diplomatic development. 60 years of diplomatic relations is impressive!
I'm happy to see progress, but we should also remember that Maldives recently had some political shifts away from India. This visit is a good step, but India needs to ensure our interests aren't compromised. Still, promoting local currency trade and investment treaty are smart moves. 👌
Actually, I think this is a very smart foreign policy move by India. By focusing on trade, investment, and local currency settlements, India is building economic interdependence with Maldives. This creates long-term stability in the region. Kudos to EAM Jaishankar and FM Adam for productive talks! 🎯
60 years of diplomatic ties is a milestone! I hope this meeting leads to concrete outcomes, especially on the FTA front. India-Maldives trade has huge potential, and the focus on tourism and digital payments shows both countries are thinking about the future. Well done! 🙏
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