In the first week of August, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will travel to India. This trip is anticipated to have a significant impact on commerce, connectivity, and other areas. He will probably travel to India on the second and third, but the exact itinerary is still being finalised. During his journey to India, he will meet with business leaders in Mumbai as well as Delhi, where he will undertake political-level talks.
The last state visit to India by President Solih was in December of 2018, which was also his first foreign visit abroad after assuming office earlier that year. During that visit, New Delhi announced a financial assistance package of US$1.4 billion and also offered additional 1000 scholarships over the next 5 years. In fact, PM Modi also choose the Maldives as his first foreign destination in 2019 after his re-election.
In order to discuss the details of capacity building for cricket in the Maldives and the preparation of the Maldivian cricket team, the President of the Maldives for 2019 conducted an unofficial visit to Bengaluru. He also went on a tour of Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium and National Cricket Academy. A significant aspect of the relations has been cricket diplomacy, with New Delhi giving the Maldives cricket board cricket equipment worth one million Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR). The Centre for Sports Science in Chennai is where the Maldives National Men’s and Women’s cricket teams receive their training.
Increased engagement between India and the Maldives has included high-level visits by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to the nation and Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid to Delhi. One of the relationships’ main pillars has been the developmental collaboration. 45 projects are being carried out nationwide with the help of an Indian grant of MVR 260 million. Tourism, sustainable development, education, fisheries, and healthcare are only a few of the socioeconomic development topics covered by the initiatives. A total of 17 of these 45 funding projects have been finished and inaugurated.
The connectivity sector has also seen cooperation. India is providing a line of credit of $400 million and a grant worth $100 million to fund the Greater Male Connectivity Project, the country’s largest infrastructure endeavour. Through a network of bridges, causeways, and roadways, this project seeks to link the islands of Villingili, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi with the nation’s capital, Male.
6.2 tonnes of crucial medical supplies were transported from India to the Maldives in April 2020 as part of Operation Sanjeevani in response to the COVID crisis. In March 2020, a 14-person Rapid Response Medical team was sent to the Maldives to teach local officials and staff on how to deal with the Corona danger. The nation was among the first to receive the India-made COVID vaccinations, along with Bhutan.
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