S Jaishankar to visit Maldives this weekend

New Delhi: There have been regular meetings and engagements between India and Maldives even during the time of COVID-19 pandemic. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is visiting the island nation this Saturday. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had gone to the Maldives in November last year.

A meeting took place between the two Foreign Ministers, through video conferencing in August 2020 in which several key projects and initiatives were announced. The telephone conversation took place in April 2020 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. 'India First' has been the underlying foreign policy approach of the Maldives government. President Solih, since he assumed office in November 2018, has taken concerted initiatives on this front. This is in congruence with India's Neighbourhood First' policy.

According to informed sources, India's rapid and comprehensive assistance to Maldives since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has further reinforced its credentials of being the first responder. Maldives was the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccines from India when India gifted 100,000 doses in January 2021.