New Delhi: In significant diplomatic engagements, President Droupadi Murmu hosted leaders from the Republic of Maldives, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. The meetings focused on discussing development-related matters of mutual interest with the neighbours and partners in the Indian Ocean Region.
Welcoming the President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, President Murmu conveyed her greetings to the new government and the people of the island nation. She expressed confidence that Maldives would continue on the path of prosperity and development under Dr Muizzu’s leadership.
The bilateral ties between India and the Maldives had faced strains due to Muizzu’s pro-China stance. Notably, Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country immediately after taking office.
“Both leaders noted the longstanding and multifaceted ties between the two countries, highlighting important pillars of our wide-ranging bilateral cooperation including people-to-people linkages, capacity building cooperation, economic and trade relations, and development cooperation,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan wrote in a statement.
President Murmu expressed hope that the India-Maldives relations will continue to strengthen in the coming years.
Nepal PM Prachanda, Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth, Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afif Call On Prez Murmu
The Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, also called on President Murmu. During their discussions, President Murmu emphasised that Nepal is a priority partner under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. She reiterated India’s commitment to further enhancing the unique ties between the two nations. “Both leaders discussed ways to advance developmental initiatives across various sectors in Nepal, benefitting the people of both nations,” stated a press release from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In her interaction with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, President Murmu fondly recalled her state visit to Mauritius as the chief guest for the National Day celebrations in March earlier this year. She reaffirmed that Mauritius is a significant maritime partner of India in the Indian Ocean Region, as part of Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). “Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the progress in various sectors of bilateral cooperation and agreed to further deepen the unique and multifaceted India-Mauritius partnership,” a statement noted.
Vice President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif also called on President Murmu, representing Seychelles at the swearing-in ceremony of the new Indian government held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Murmu reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Seychelles in its developmental aspirations, enhancing the people-to-people connect, and bolstering security cooperation under Vision SAGAR. Afif conveyed the greetings of President Wavel Ramkalawan and the people of Seychelles to Murmu, expressing his pleasure at visiting India on his first official trip.
“Both leaders discussed India’s developmental partnership support, capacity-building assistance in Seychelles, and longstanding defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean region,” the statement said. They agreed to continue working together to strengthen bilateral ties for mutual benefit.
