Sushma Swaraj meets Maldivian foreign minister Dunya Maumoon at SAARC conference

POKHARA (NEPAL): External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today held a meeting with her Maldivian counterpart Dunya Maumoon on the sidelines of the SAARC ministerial meeting here.

"Neighbourly Engagement! EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets Maldives FM Dunya Maumoon on sidelines of 37th SAARC Ministerial," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted along with a photo of the two ministers.

The Maldives recently witnessed a political controversy surrounding jailed former president Mohamed Nasheed who has sought a two-month extension of his medical leave in the UK.

Maumoon had visited New Delhi last November and said that India-Maldives ties have "sufficient depth" and that her country discusses with India almost all issues, including the political situation in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Maldivian Foreign Secretary Ali Naseer Mohamed also visited India this week and held talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on a host of issues.