EAM Jaishankar to call on Maldives' President, Defence Minister today

Male, Aug 10 (IANS) India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, who is on a three-day official visit to the Maldives, will call on Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday to "further enhance" the partnership between the two countries.

EAM Jaishankar will also meet Maldivian Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon on Saturday to discuss defence and security cooperation.

"As neighbours, we face common challenges and have a shared interest in maintaining peace and security in the region. After all, we both have very big EEZs. Our defence and security cooperation is aimed at confronting many common challenges and I look forward to fruitful discussions in that regard," the EAM said late Friday.

Earlier after arriving in Male on Friday, EAM Jaishankar met his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer and discussed various aspects of bilateral ties between the two countries.

The discussion covered a wide range of issues including development partnerships, defence and maritime corporations, capacity building, economic and trade ties, and people-to-people linkages.

"I reiterated India's consistent and continued support to the Maldives in its quest for progress and prosperity," the EAM said while speaking to media after the meeting on Friday.

"India's development cooperation paradigm is that India's own development is inseparable from that of the rest of the world, particularly the neighbourhood. Naturally, development cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of our partnership with the Maldives," he said.

The EAM said that India's partnership with the Maldives is based on "our deep desire to work together for each other's welfare and interests. It is a partnership that has enabled us to always swiftly and effectively respond to challenges, as witnessed in the past".

He also termed Maldives one of the cornerstones of India's 'Neighborhood First' policy.

"To put it succinctly in the words of my Prime Minister Narendra Modi – for India, neighbourhood is a priority and, in the neighbourhood, Maldives is a priority. We also share the closest of bonds of history and kinship," EAM Jaishankar added.During the visit, the EAM will also be meeting Maldives' Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Finance.