‘You’ve made history, minister’: For S Jaishankar, message from the Maldives

Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid on Saturday highlighted that his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar made history by holding official talks out of the capital city Male’. Jaishankar met Shahid in Addu city where the two sides signed agreements and reviewed the bilateral development partnership and cooperation in areas ranging from security to tourism.

“You’ve made history, Minister @DrSJaishankar!” Abdullah Shahid wrote on Twitter. “This is the first time official talks have been held out of the Capital City Male’.”

Shahid said that the Maldives welcomes India’s “Neighborhood First Policy” and remains committed to its “India First Policy”. He added that India-Maldives relations have “stood the test of time, and one that will continue to flourish.”

“I thank India for the assistance it has provided throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. We remain grateful that we can always rely on #India during times of need. Both our countries have experienced the hardships and tragedies of the pandemic, but we are emerging stronger together,” the Maldives foreign minister tweeted.

Jaishankar is in the Maldives for a two-day visit after he got an invite from his Maldivian counterpart.

The two countries signed agreements for the mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates and for connectivity between the Higher Education Network of the Maldives and the National Knowledge Network of India.

“Our time-tested relationship is today poised for a quantum jump. We are touching the lives of our people like we have done never before. We are partners in development, we are promoting peace and security, and our relationship, in many ways, serves as a model for the region,” Jaishankar said.