Union Minister S. Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu
Novel Delhi:
Union Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday held separate bilateral meetings with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Muizzu, Ms Hasina and Mr Wickremesinghe were among seven leaders from India’s neighborhood and the Indian Ocean region who attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet on Sunday.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to visit the President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, in Novel Delhi today. I look forward to India and the Maldives working closely together,” Jaishankar said on ‘X’.
-Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) June 10, 2024
Jaishankar was the external affairs minister in Prime Minister Modi’s previous government. He took oath as Union Minister on Sunday.
This was Muizzu’s first visit to India after he became president of the island nation on November 17 last year.
Relations between India and the Maldives have been under grave strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took over the top job.
Within hours of taking the oath, he demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Earlier this month, Indian military personnel were replaced with civilians.
After meeting Ms. Hasina, Mr. Jaishankar said: “It is an honor for me to meet the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, today. Maitri between India and Bangladesh continues to progress.”
During his meeting with Wickremesingh, Jaishankar said, “I thank President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka for receiving me in Novel Delhi this morning. He acknowledged the steady progress in India-Sri Lanka relations.”
Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay and Vice President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif also attended Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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