Foreign Secretary Gokhale Holds Talks with Maldivian Foreign Minister

New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Wednesday held "productive discussions" with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid on further deepening bilateral ties.

Shahid arrived here late Tuesday night on a four-day visit.

"Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale called on Maldivian FM @abdulla_shahid on his visit to India. Productive discussions on further strengthening the framework of India-Maldives relations," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

On Friday, Shahid and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will co-chair a meeting of the India-Maldives Joint Commission.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that as a close friend and maritime neighbour, India is committed to partnering with the Maldives for its development.

Modi paid a two-day visit to the Maldives in June, in his first bilateral trip after his reelection for a second term.

The prime minister visited the Maldives in November last year as well to attend President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's swearing-in ceremony.

The relations between India and the Maldives deteriorated after the then President Abdulla Yameen imposed emergency on February 5 last year.

India had criticised his decision and asked his government to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners. The emergency lasted 45 days

However, the ties improved after Solih became president defeating Yameen in the presidential polls.

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