Maldives President Ibrahim Solih to arrive in India on a 4-day visit to 'bolster bilateral ties'

The President of the Republic of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is scheduled to visit India for a four-day trip starting on Monday, in an effort to further bolster their relationship.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, President Solih would undertake an official visit to India from August 1–4, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Furthermore, a business delegation and high-ranking official would accompany the Maldivian President.

President Solih will meet President Droupadi Murmu and speak with PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Solih will also meet with an Indian business group in New Delhi in addition to his formal engagements in India.

Notably, Maldives holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy as one of its most important neighbours in the Indian Ocean region. All areas of cooperation within the partnership have shown remarkable expansion in recent years.

The two leaders of the nations will have the chance to assess the development of their extensive collaboration and give it new vitality during President Solih's impending official visit, as per the statement.

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Maldives-India ties

Besides this, one of India's main maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean is the Maldives, and overall bilateral ties, particularly those pertaining to security and defence, have been strengthening in recent years.

The relationship between India and the Maldives has been based on development cooperation, with New Delhi giving the island country funds for community development projects and lines of credit totalling more than $1.2 billion for infrastructure, PTI reported.

The island country signed a deal in August 2021 to construct a connection project sponsored by India, which is regarded as the biggest infrastructure project being implemented in the island country.

A 6.74 km long bridge and causeway link will be constructed as part of the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) to join the capital city of Male with the nearby islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi, as per the PTI report. It will purportedly be the biggest infrastructure project in the Maldives, funded by a grant of $100 million and a line of credit of $400 million from India.