Sushma Swaraj arrives in Maldives on two-day visit

The last Joint Commission meeting was held in 2000, which means that Swaraj visit will effectively reactivate the process 15 years later.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj urged the Indian diaspora in Maldives to pitch in for their motherland by contributing to nation’s development.

Earlier, Swaraj was received and welcomed at Ibrahim Nasir worldwide Airport by her Maldivian counterpart Dunya Maumoon.

Swaraj will meet officials including President Abudullah Yameen.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Maldives in 2013 and obtained support from Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom for his modern maritime silk road initiative seen as a way of encircling India and controlling port access along sea lanes linking the energy-rich Persian Gulf and economic centers in eastern China. She noted that a framework agreement of cooperation signed in November 2011, has empowered the joint commission further and also mandated them to discuss defence and security issues of mutual concern. Asked why the Joint Commission is being restarted, he said it was mutually felt that it was time to ramp up bilateral ties.

Male (Maldives), October 10 (ANI): Interacting with Indian diaspora here, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said whether it’s climate change or counter terrorism on international-level, India is expressing its views with confidence and the world is listening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled a trip to the Maldives earlier this year, after the arrest and contested trial of former president Mohamed Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected leader. “I think that is the most important thing”, he said.