New Delhi, May 27: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to pay an official visit to the Maldives for his second term’s maiden trip abroad as the PM. Modi is likely to visit from June 8-9 in line with his “neighbourhood first policy”.
According to ANI news reports, the Maldives will be the first nation for Modi to stop and visit during his maiden tour of South Asian nations, according to the Maldives state-run media reports on Saturday.
However, neither the Maldives president’s office nor the foreign ministry has confirmed the Indian PM’s visit yet.
Last November, Modi had visited the island nation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih after he defeated ex-President Abdullah Yameen surprisingly in the presidential elections.
The move was followed by Solih’s official visit to New Delhi last December, after which India announced financial assistance to Maldives worth USD 1.4 million in a form of budgetary support, concessional lines of credits and currency swap in order to fulfill the socio-economic development programs in the nation.
Both the leaders had, during Solih’s visit, agreed to work closely towards creating jobs, establishing a framework of cooperation in several sectors such as human resources, tourism, health, legal assistance on a criminal matter, etc.
In 2014, Modi had paid an official visit to Bhutan during his maiden tour abroad as the PM.