Bismillah-ah-Rahman-ah-Raheem.
Assalaamu alaikum and a very good evening.
Your Excellency Dr. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India,
Members of both delegations,
Members of the media.
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It gives me great pleasure to warmly welcome Minister Dr. Jaishankar and his delegation to the Maldives. I am delighted to have the opportunity to return the warm and gracious hospitality he extended to me during my visit to India.
India has always been one of our closest friends and a vital development partner. This enduring friendship built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect, and has continued to flourish over the years. High-level exchanges between our countries have deepened our dialogue and cooperation in areas of shared interest. We remain dedicated to strengthening and advancing this mutually beneficial partnership.
The people and the Government of Maldives are profoundly grateful to the people and the Government of India for the immense contributions made to the socio-economic development of Maldives. Our development is positively influenced by the diverse forms of assistance we receive from India, in areas such as health, education, youth, sports, housing and infrastructure, among others. Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital stands as a testament to this.
India has also funded, the Greater Male’ Connectivity Project. We welcome the progress made so far, especially over the past eight months. During this visit, Minister Dr. Jaishankar, accompanied by the Minister of Construction and Infrastructure, Dr. Muththalib, and myself will be visiting the project site to view its progress.
I am delighted that we were able to hold very constructive discussions on a diverse range of mutually significant issues, including further cooperation in the areas of economy, trade and investment, education and skills development, health, tourism, youth, sports, defense and security, consular issues, regional and multilateral cooperation.
Minister Dr. Jaishankar and I agreed that much more needs to be done to promote trade and investment between the Maldives and India. We are committed to establishing effective mechanisms to enhance economic cooperation, fostering a vibrant and prosperous partnership that will benefit both the nations. In this regard, I conveyed President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's proposal, to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the Maldives and India. This agreement alongside other economic and trade-related agreements will facilitate trade liberalization and ease the risks of doing business in both our countries.
While the Maldives and India share deep and longstanding cooperation in the security and defense sectors, we have mutually agreed to further strengthen our partnership by continuing joint exercises and expanding training opportunities for officers from both countries. This ongoing collaboration reflects our commitment to working together to ensuring the security of our nations as well as ensuring the safety and stability of the Indian Ocean region.
On regional and multilateral issues of importance, our countries have a common understanding and are united in our efforts to resolve them. We agreed to continue our cooperation on issues ranging from combating terrorism, violent extremism, drugs, human trafficking and to promotion and protection of human rights.
Ladies and Gentlemen.
This evening, we also marked the completion of some important projects directed towards the community, which have been handed over to their beneficiaries. Tomorrow, in the presence of President Dr. Muizzu, we will also be carrying out the handover of 28 water and sewerage projects in 28 islands which was financed through the EXIM Bank of India. I would like to convey our sincere appreciation to the people and Government of India for this generous assistance.
In his last leg of this visit, Minister Dr. Jaishankar will be travelling to Addu City to handover the reclamation and shore protection project and the inauguration of 4-Lane Detour Link Road comprising of 1.463 kms which connects Maradhoo to Hithadhoo around the Hankede Island. This is a major component of the “Design and Build of Construction of Roads and Drainage System in Addu City Project”, and also marks the completion of the shore protection project, both funded from the EXIM Bank line of credit facility from Government of India.
Apart from the development projects, under “neighbourhood first policy” of India, Maldives has benefited substantially in terms of fiscal assistance from India. I thank the Government of India for extending vital budgetary support to Maldives with a rollover of USD 50 million Treasury Bills. This gesture of goodwill has gone a long way in alleviating our budgetary and fiscal challenges.
I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of the Indian professionals and the expatriate community in the Maldives. India has also been an important source market for our tourism sector. I also thank Minister Dr. Jaishankar, the Government, and the people of India for the hospitality and goodwill extended to the large number of Maldivians who reside in and travel to India for various purposes, from tourism to education to medical treatment.
Before concluding, I would like to take a moment to commend both the Government and the people of India for their outstanding achievements. Their remarkable progress has not only brought significant improvements domestically but also on the global stage. India's influential role in international forums and its contributions to global discussions and collaborations are truly commendable.
Let me conclude, by reiterating the commitment of the Government of Maldives to continue working closely with the Government of India, bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally, to further strengthen and enhance the ties between our two countries. I thank you, Minister Dr. Jaishankar once again, for undertaking this important visit and I look forward to continue working closely for the mutual benefit of both our peoples.
Thank you