NEW DELHI:
At a meeting with his visiting Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Khaleel, external affairs minister S Jaishankar reiterated the importance India attaches to bilateral ties and "assured continued support to Maldives under India's 'Neighborhood First' policy," the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
Jaishankar noted that there had been "some important and positive developments" in bilateral relations since Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's visit to India last October, when the two sides agreed on a comprehensive economic and maritime security partnership to deepen ties.
"India has always stood by the Maldives. For us, you are a very concrete expression of our 'Neighborhood First' policy," Jaishankar said, pointing to the assistance extended by India last year to help the Indian Ocean state cope with a debt crisis. This included the resubscription of treasury bills and currency swap lines of $400 million and ₹3,000 crore, which Jaishankar said were "very critical".
This story is from the January 04, 2025 edition of Hindustan Times Pune.
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This story is from the January 04, 2025 edition of Hindustan Times Pune.
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