Male: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome in the Maldives as President Mohamed Muizzu greeted him with a hug upon his arrival at the Male airport on Friday. Also present to receive the Indian leader were the Maldives’ Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, Finance Minister, and Minister of Homeland Security.
PM Modi, who is on a two-day State visit, expressed his appreciation for the gesture and voiced optimism about the future of bilateral ties. “Landed in Male. Deeply touched by the gesture of President Muizzu to come to the airport to welcome me. I am confident that India-Maldives friendship will scale new heights of progress in the times to come,” he posted on X.
The Indian Prime Minister is visiting the island nation at the invitation of President Muizzu and will attend the Maldives' 60th Independence Day celebrations as the Guest of Honor. His visit marks the first by a foreign head of state or government since Muizzu took office.
Chants of ‘Vande Mataram’ rang out as Modi arrived in Male, underlining the enthusiasm surrounding his visit.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had earlier stated that the visit would strengthen the “comprehensive and multifaceted” India-Maldives relationship and bolster peace, prosperity, and security in the Indian Ocean Region.
“The relationship with the Maldives is comprehensive and multifaceted. It's been paid attention to by leadership at the highest levels and we believe that this visit by the Prime Minister will contribute further to consolidating these strong ties and contribute to peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean Region that both of us inhabit,” Misri said during a media briefing on July 22.
The two leaders are expected to review progress on the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership, which was adopted during President Muizzu’s visit to India in October 2024.
Misri also noted India’s consistent support for the Maldives during times of crisis, highlighting the robust political engagement between the two countries. “This joint vision, in a sense, has become the guiding framework for our ties. This year already, in the first six months, we have seen nearly half a dozen ministerial level visits from the Maldives. The speaker of the Maldives Parliament visited India. In fact, the very first engagement this year that the External Affairs Minister held was with the Foreign Minister of Maldives,” he said.