August 10, 2024: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Driday said India’s partnership with the Maldives is based on its deep desire to work together for each other’s welfare and interests. He also emphasized that the relationship with Male was one of the cornerstones of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

S Jaishankar arrived in Male for a three-day official visit to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives, the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation’s pro-China president Mohamed Muizza assumed office last year.

The visit follows a period of strained relations between the two countries earlier this year, when three Maldivian ministers and some parliamentarians made derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.