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Addressing reporters after talks with the Maldivian foreign minister on Saturday, Jaishankar said India's partnership with Maldives is based on our strong desire to work together for each other's welfare.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said Maldives is an important partner of India in the Indian Ocean region and the two countries are eager to transform their cooperation into a modern partnership.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said Maldives is an important partner of India in the Indian Ocean region and the two countries are eager to transform their cooperation into a modern partnership.
Jaishankar's remarks came as he and Maldivian Foreign Minister Moussa Zamel attended the handover ceremony of the Addu Reclamation and Coastal Protection Project and the four-lane bypass road project promoted by the Indian government under the Exim Bank credit line. Dedication ceremony.
“The Maldives is an important partner for us in the Indian Ocean region. This is at the heart of our Neighborhood First policy. Therefore, cooperation between our two countries naturally goes beyond traditional roles. Today we truly aspire to be a modern partnership.
“Our development cooperation aims to touch every aspect of people's lives and find ways to bring tangible benefits to their lives,” he said. In recent years, India has invested approximately US$220 million in the Maldives, which fully reflects the importance India attaches to the development of the Maldives region.
“We are one of the largest trading partners today. We are also seeing more investment flowing from India to the Maldives, especially in tourism,” he said. He said India has collaborated with the Maldivian government on the Addu reclamation and coastal protection project to find sustainable ways to develop it into a regional hub.
Reclamation work on 184 hectares of land was completed earlier this year. The ambitious $80 million project involves reclamation of land to boost tourism and the overall economy of Addu. The project will contribute to the overall growth of the region, leading to better employment, entrepreneurship and trade opportunities.
“Another important project being implemented with assistance from India is the reconstruction of roads and drainage systems in Addu at a cost of US$70 million. The project is in its final stages and once completed, will provide a solution to the waterlogging problem on roads in Addu.
“The Addu Bypass Road inaugurated today is the reason we are here and is an important part of the project that will go a long way in easing connectivity within the atoll,” he said. “Under the India Credit Line, we are not only focusing on development facilities in the Addu area and also connect it with the outside world,” he said.
The Maldivian government under India's LOC is also working on the reconstruction of Gan International Airport, a $29 million connectivity project that will bridge the gap between Addu Atoll and the Maldives and the rest of the world .
“This will boost investor confidence and increase local tourism in Gan and the southern atolls, with wider economic benefits expected for many local communities,” Jaishankar said. India also values the development of impactful communities in the Maldives plan.
“We have collaborated on 65 projects, with 12 to 5 projects delivered. We are excited to see this high-impact community development project model succeed, expand its footprint and expand its impact at an exponential scale ,” he said. Jaishankar also highlighted other projects India is undertaking with assistance from the Maldives.
India remains open to the evolving needs and priorities of its Maldivian friends, and both governments strive to provide customized solutions as per their requirements. He also congratulated the Maldivian government and people, especially the people of southern Maldives, for these two projects.
“They prove a decisive key to our partnership, which was envisioned by the Maldives and made possible by India. I am confident that these projects will have a transformative impact on the region's economy and help stimulate future generations.” development. “The friendship between India and the Maldives is people-oriented,” Jaishankar said in a post on X, detailing India's aid plans in the Maldives. “India shares its development experience with its neighbors,” he added. PTI
(This report has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)
