What Did Maldives President Muizzu Say About India and PM Modi?

Male, July 26 (NationPress) Celebrating the strong ties with India, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's significant two-day visit to the country, emphasizing that it has greatly enhanced the bilateral relationship between the two neighboring nations.

Speaking to the Indian media following the Maldives Independence Day festivities where PM Modi served as the 'Guest of Honour', President Muizzu remarked, "India is one of the major nations that supports Maldives tourism. Certainly, the Prime Minister's visit will lead to a substantial increase. I am confident that people-to-people exchanges between our two countries will also rise due to this visit."

Muizzu further described PM Modi as a "wonderful" individual, expressing gratitude for the efforts the Indian leader has undertaken over the past 11 years to steer India-Maldives relations onto a new path.

"He is a wonderful person dedicated to fostering relationships between neighbors. The Maldives and India share a long-standing relationship that dates back centuries. With his leadership and the collaborative spirit between our two nations, I am optimistic that our ties will flourish even more in the future," he stated.

He also highlighted the agreements signed during PM Modi's visit, affirming that they will aid the Maldives in progressing.

Later, Muizzu expressed on X, "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his State Visit to the Maldives. We engaged in productive discussions, exchanged four MoUs and three agreements in crucial sectors, and announced the initiation of FTA negotiations."

"Together, we celebrated the Maldives' 60th Independence Day, released a commemorative stamp celebrating 60 years of formal ties, and inaugurated key development projects supported by India," he added.

Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Tourism and Environment of Maldives, shared with IANS that the connectivity of the Indian Ocean archipelago to the world will significantly improve with the launch of the new terminal at the Velana airport in Hulhule Island.

"Last year, we welcomed two million tourists, and our target this year is 2.3 million. We anticipate welcoming 200,000 tourists from India alone. With the new terminal at Velana International Airport, we expect enhanced connectivity globally, especially with India," he stated.

Earlier that day, PM Modi participated in the Independence Day celebrations of Maldives as the ‘Guest of Honour’ at Republic Square in Male, alongside the President of the Maldives and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed.

PM Modi also held numerous important meetings with various political party representatives in the Maldives. He noted that the involvement of leaders across the political spectrum underscores the bipartisan support for the "strong and time-tested friendship" between the two countries. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and other officials were present during these discussions.