India's top diplomat in Maldives on first visit in new govt

India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar arrived in Maldives on an official visit on Friday.

The three-day visit comes at the invitation of the Maldivian foreign minister Moosa Zameer, who was at the Velana International Airport Friday afternoon to welcome his Indian counterpart. 

In a statement, the Maldivian foreign ministry said on Thursday Jaishankar will pay a courtesy call on President Mohamed Muizzu. He will also engage in official talks with Zameer to review the existing bilateral cooperation between the two nations, it added.

The discussions will be followed by the inauguration of completed projects under the High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) and loans by the EXIM Bank of India.

Both ministers will also witness the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding concerning capacity building, commerce, and trade.

Jaishankar's visit is the first official visit by an Indian minister to Maldives in the government of President Muizzu, who was sworn in November. 

Jaishankar's visit shows that Maldives-India relations are recovering.

Withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives and the insulting comments of three Maldivian deputy ministers on social media to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have further strained relations with India.

President Muizzu arrived in India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term. Zameer also made an official visit to New Delhi.