Jaishankar said that India and Maldives have a shared responsibility for regional peace and security.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India and Maldives are good neighbors and strong partners and both countries have a shared responsibility for regional peace and security. Jaishankar, who is here on the first leg of his three-day visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka, said this after holding “fruitful discussions” with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. Jaishankar is on a visit to these countries to further expand bilateral relations with India’s two major maritime neighbours.

After the meeting with Shahid, Jaishankar said at a joint press conference, “We are good neighbours. We are strong partners. We have mutually invested for growth and progress. However, at the same time, we also have a shared responsibility for regional peace and security. He said that the security partnership between the two countries is also getting stronger. Jaishankar said, “Here again, India is always keen to meet Maldives’ various needs for itself and for the wider region.”

Earlier, on his arrival in Maldives, Jaishankar was accorded a traditional welcome by Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid at the airport here. Jaishankar signed several agreements related to various fields here to strengthen bilateral cooperation. An MoU was also signed for additional grant assistance of Maldivian Rufiyaa 10 crore for the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP). Several socio-economic development projects will be implemented across the country through this grant-in-aid. Other agreements include academic collaboration between Maldives National University and Kochi University of Science and Technology.

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