Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel Meets Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar

Male [Maldives], October 2: Abdulla Khaleel, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, met with Munu Mahawar, the High Commissioner of India to the Maldives. They discussed the close and friendly relations between the two countries and explored new ways to strengthen their partnership.

In a post on X, Khaleel shared, "It was a pleasure to meet with High Commissioner of India to the Maldives, Munu Mahawar today. As this was my first meeting with the High Commissioner in my new role, we reflected on the close, neighbourly relations between the Maldives and India. Our discussions also focused on ongoing cooperation, as well as exploring potential new avenues to further strengthen the enduring partnership between the two countries."

Earlier on September 27, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu expressed his intention to visit India soon. He praised the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries during the 79th United Nations General Assembly. This would be Muizzu's second visit to India, following his first visit in June for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

It is noteworthy that Muizzu broke the tradition of Maldivian Presidents making their first foreign visit to India by visiting Turkiye and China first. His government has taken steps to reconcile after a period of strained relations between the two nations. Muizzu's presidential campaign focused on the 'India Out' slogan, advocating for the removal of Indian troops from the Maldives.