Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam has said the Maldives can rely on India, reaffirming the close ties between the two countries during her ongoing official visit to New Delhi.
Speaking in an interview with WION, Iruthisham stated that the Maldives would “always remain India’s neighbour,” while stressing the importance of maintaining strong bilateral cooperation between Malé and New Delhi.
The remarks were made as the minister held official talks with senior Indian officials during her visit. According to the Maldives Foreign Ministry, the trip was undertaken at the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Discussions during the visit focused on strengthening Maldives–India relations, regional cooperation, development partnership projects, security cooperation and capacity building.
In separate remarks during the interview, Iruthisham also spoke on India’s assistance in enhancing the Maldives’ defence and institutional capacity through training programmes and technical cooperation.
Commenting on regional developments, the minister said passages through the Strait of Hormuz should remain open amid growing concerns over disruptions to global trade and energy routes due to tensions in West Asia.
She further stated that the Maldivian government had already taken administrative measures to mitigate possible impacts arising from the situation.
The visit comes as Maldives and India continue engagement on a range of bilateral areas, including infrastructure development, trade, health, education and security cooperation.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the visit also includes meetings aimed at reviewing ongoing bilateral projects and exploring further avenues of cooperation between the two countries.
