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Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
India to boost ties with Maldives: PM
Male: India looks forward to deepening its partnership with the Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, as he met several Maldivian leaders, including Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef. Modi is in the Maldives on a two-day visit. His discussions with Latheef touched upon key pillars of the India-Maldives ties, including cooperation in infrastructure, technology and energy. "Our nations continue to work closely in sectors like infrastructure, technology, climate change, energy and more. This is greatly beneficial to our people. We look forward to deepening this partnership in the years to come," Modi posted on X. The Prime Minister conveyed wishes on the 60th anniversary of Independence Day of the Maldives. He also graced the celebrations as the guest of honour. "Both sides exchanged views on the deep-rooted & special relationship. V-P Latheef thanked PM for India's continued assistance to Maldives in times of need," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post. Latheef said it was an honour to call on the Indian prime minister. "As this year marks 60 years of formal diplomatic relations with India, the Prime Minister and I reflected on the journey of friendship and reciprocal support our countries have taken. I hope that the strong cooperation with India continues to grow and strengthen," Latheef said. Modi also met Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People's Majlis (the Maldivian Parliament). "Talked about the deep-rooted India-Maldives friendship, including the close relationship between our respective Parliaments," Modi said. He also welcomed the formation of the India-Maldives Parliamentary Friendship Group in the 20th Majlis. "India remains committed to supporting capacity building in the Maldives," the Prime Minister said. The Speaker thanked Modi for India's continued commitment to enhancing ties with the Maldives and between the two democracies, Jaiswal said. Modi also interacted with the Indian community in the Maldives and commended their contribution to the Indian Ocean archipelago's progress. "The Indian diaspora continues to be one of the strongest bridges between India and the world. We are very proud of our diaspora," he said in a post on X. Jaiswal said on X that the Prime Minister appreciated the diaspora's contributions in "building upon the strong and vibrant people-to-people ties between India and the Maldives. The Indian community in Maldives is a key pillar of the enduring India-Maldives friendship." He also interacted with the beneficiaries of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme, which focuses on capacity building. "The group included police officials, government officials, paramedics and nurses. They truly embody the spirit of the India-Maldives friendship and the deep-rooted ties that unite our two nations," he said on X. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also met former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed. "He (Nasheed) has always been a strong advocate of a deeper India-Maldives friendship. Spoke about how the Maldives will always be a valued pillar of our 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Mahasagar vision," he said.


The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
PM Modi departs for home after concluding visit to Maldives
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (July 26, 2025) left for home after wrapping up his two-day visit to the Maldives where he joined the celebrations marking the island nation's 60th Independence Day. "A very fruitful & productive State visit to Maldives concludes. PM @narendramodi emplanes for India," the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an X post. Mr. Modi reached here on Friday (July 25) at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu. On Saturday (July 26), the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed at the iconic Republic Square, where he graced the Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives as the guest of honour. "It was an honour to attend the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives. This momentous occasion showcased the rich cultural heritage and vibrant spirit of the Maldivian people," Mr. Modi said in a social media post. "It also signified the country's journey of transformation over the years gone by. From its ancient maritime traditions to global leadership in critical areas like climate change, the Maldives has carved a unique place for itself on the world stage. My best wishes to the great Maldivian people," he added. Earlier, he also interacted with the Indian community in the Maldives and commended their contribution to the Indian Ocean archipelago's progress. "The Indian diaspora continues to be one of the strongest bridges between India and the world. We are very proud of our diaspora," he said in a post on X. He interacted with the beneficiaries of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme, and said that they "truly embody the spirit of the India-Maldives friendship and the deep-rooted ties that unite our two nations". On Friday, the Prime Minister held extensive talks with President Muizzu, focusing on deepening bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including trade, defence and maritime security. After the talks, India announced a ₹4,850 crore line of credit for the Maldives and agreed to finalise a free trade deal soon.


Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India looks forward to boosting ties with Maldives, committed to support capacity building: PM Modi
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India looks forward to deepening its partnership with the Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, as he met several Maldivian leaders, including Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed is in the Maldives on a two-day discussions with Latheef touched upon key pillars of the India-Maldives ties, including cooperation in infrastructure, technology and energy."Our nations continue to work closely in sectors like infrastructure, technology, climate change, energy and more. This is greatly beneficial to our people. We look forward to deepening this partnership in the years to come," Modi posted on prime minister conveyed wishes on the 60th anniversary of Independence Day of the also graced the celebrations as the guest of honour."Both sides exchanged views on the deep-rooted & special relationship. VP Latheef thanked PM for India's continued assistance to Maldives in times of need," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media said it was an honour to call on the Indian prime minister."As this year marks 60 years of formal diplomatic relations with India, the Prime Minister and I reflected on the journey of friendship and reciprocal support our countries have taken. I hope that the strong cooperation with India continues to grow and strengthen," Latheef also met Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People's Majlis (the Maldivian Parliament)."Talked about the deep-rooted India-Maldives friendship, including the close relationship between our respective Parliaments," Modi also welcomed the formation of the India-Maldives Parliamentary Friendship Group in the 20th Majlis."India remains committed to supporting capacity building in the Maldives," the prime minister Speaker thanked Modi for India's continued commitment to enhancing ties with the Maldives and between the two democracies, Jaiswal also interacted with the Indian community in the Maldives and commended their contribution to the Indian Ocean archipelago's progress."The Indian diaspora continues to be one of the strongest bridges between India and the world. We are very proud of our diaspora," he said in a post on said on X that the prime minister appreciated the diaspora's contributions in "building upon the strong and vibrant people-to-people ties between India and the Maldives. The Indian community in Maldives is a key pillar of the enduring India-Maldives friendship."He also interacted with the beneficiaries of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme, which focuses on capacity building."The group included police officials, government officials, paramedics and nurses. They truly embody the spirit of the India-Maldives friendship and the deep-rooted ties that unite our two nations," he said on in the day, Prime Minister Modi also met former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed."He (Nasheed) has always been a strong advocate of a deeper India-Maldives friendship. Spoke about how the Maldives will always be a valued pillar of our 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Mahasagar vision," he will keep supporting the Maldives through capacity building and developmental cooperation, the prime minister who served as president of the Maldives from November 11, 2008, to February 7, 2012, expressed gratitude for India's continued support for a stronger India-Maldives relationship."The two sides noted the excellent people-to-people ties between the two countries," the MEA Spokesperson Minister Modi also held a "meaningful" meeting with members of different political parties of the Maldives."The participation of leaders across the political spectrum underscores the bipartisan support for the strong and time-tested India-Maldives friendship. Our shared values continue to guide this important partnership," the prime minister said."Both sides reaffirmed their commitment for a stronger India-Maldives relationship, building upon the vibrant people-to-people ties and the shared values between the two democracies. The Maldivian leaders thanked the PM for India's continued support on developmental assistance for the welfare of the Maldivian people," Jaiswal Friday, Modi held wide-ranging talks with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu and announced a Rs 4,850 crore line of credit to the island nation.


The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Sponsors and perpetrators of terror must be brought to justice, say Central Asian countries
The Foreign Ministers of Central Asian countries on Friday (June 6, 2025) 'unequivocally condemned' the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and conveyed their 'firm commitment' to fight terrorism. The common position against terrorism was arrived at during the India-Central Asia Dialogue that was chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He acknowledged the solidarity that the Central Asian countries had extended to India after the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. He also called upon the region to work for 'greater financial connectivity' with India. 'They reaffirmed their firm commitment to fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and reiterated that providing safe haven, using terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, terror financing, arms and drugs trafficking, dissemination of a radical ideology and abuse of cyber space to spread disinformation and incite violence goes against the basic principles of humanity and international relations,' the participating Foreign Ministers said in a joint statement that was issued at the end of the meeting. The participating countries also stressed that 'perpetrators, organisers,financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice'. Push for connectivity The Foreign Ministers of India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan emphasised 'optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)' to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries. The participants at the dialogue said connectivity projects should be 'based on principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries'. At the meeting, India supported the membership of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the INSTC. 'The Ministers underlined the importance of greater financial connectivity between India and Central Asian countries, including through digital payment systems, enhanced inter-bank relations, and trade in national currencies to encourage greater trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges,' the joint declaration stated. It also expressed interest in joint exploration of rare earth and critical minerals, and called on the participating countries to organise the second India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum meeting 'at the earliest convenience'. Trusted partner Earlier, inaugurating the dialogue, Mr. Jaishankar described India as 'a trusted development partner' of Central Asia. Mr. Jaishankar highlighted trade and investment, defence, agro-processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, regional connectivity, security, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges as areas where bilateral cooperation will increase in the coming period. 'India remains a trusted development partner for all of you. Together with ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) training slots and ICCR scholarships, which are the most well-known forms of our development partnerships, we also have started providing high-impact community development projects as Indian grants for socio-economic development,' said Mr. Jaishankar.


Hans India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Central Asian countries stood by India after heinous Pahalgam terror attack: EAM Jaishankar
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Friday expressed his appreciation for the solidarity shown by Central Asian countries in condemning the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. "I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam," the EAM said in his opening remarks at the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi. Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev and Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov took part in the dialogue. Addressing the session, EAM Jaishankar stated that India deeply cherishes its millennia-old civilisational and cultural ties with Central Asia. "These age-old bonds, forged through trade, exchange of ideas, and people-to-people contacts, have strengthened over time, evolving into a partnership defined by shared aspirations, shared opportunities and common challenges," he said. The EAM said that India's cooperation with the Central Asian countries received a "quantum boost" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's back-to-back visits to all five Central Asian capitals in July 2015. 'We have marked three decades of our contemporary diplomatic ties with our Central Asian partners in 2022. We have worked together and laid down the legal and institutional framework, which has provided a foundation to further our mutually beneficial cooperation with each other individually and collectively,' he added He emphasised that India remains a trusted development partner for all the Central Asian countries and highlighted that that trade, economic, and investment ties between India and Central Asia have strengthened significantly over the last decade. 'Together with the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training slots and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, which are the most well-known form of our development partnership, we have also started providing High Impact Community Development projects as Indian grants for socio-economic development,' the EAM mentioned. Asserting on the fruitful discussions during the India Central Asia Business Council meeting held on Thursday, Jaishankar stated that it focused on to remove impediments and add cooperation in digital technology, fintech, inter-bank relations, and to the existing list of areas, which would help both India and Central Asian region to realise the full potential of the economic cooperation. 'Both India and our Central Asian partners are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation across all sectors, particularly trade and investment, defence, agro-processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, regional connectivity, security, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges as well as new and emerging technologies,' he stated. The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in January 2019 in Samarkand, serves as a key platform for strengthening ties between India and Central Asia. The second meeting took place virtually in October 2020 and focussed on regional security, counter-terrorism, and infrastructure development. The third meeting was held in New Delhi in December 2021 and emphasised connectivity to further deepen the ties between India and Central Asia.