NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, is visiting India’s maritime neighbours – the Maldives and Sri Lanka – in the next two days.
He has left for the Maldives today and will be in Addu city till tomorrow. Dr Jaishankar will call on Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hold discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.
"EAMs visit will see the signing of several agreements related to the bilateral development cooperation, inauguration/handing over and launch of a number of key projects (supported by India) that would contribute to the socio-economic development of the Maldives and enhance its security,” according to Ministry of External Affairs.
On Monday, Dr Jaishankar will be in Sri Lanka where he will have interactions with his counterpart Prof G L Peiris. The focus will be on India's neighbourhood first policy.
Jaishankar will also attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in Colombo.
Both Maldives and Sri Lanka are India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and occupy a special place in the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ and Neighbourhood First.