President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will pay an official visit between August 1 and 4, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs announced here, on Thursday. The visit will provide an opportunity for top-level consultation between the two sides, in the backdrop of the ongoing turmoil in Sri Lanka.
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President Solih will be the first foreign dignitary to be welcomed by President Droupadi Murmu. During the visit, he will be accompanied by a high-level official and business delegation, and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Besides official engagements in New Delhi, President Solih will be holding discussion with an Indian business delegation in Delhi. During this visit, President Solih will also visit Mumbai, Maharashtra and participate in business events," said the MEA, in an official announcement.
The Maldives hosted former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa briefly between July 13 and 14, after he fled Sri Lanka on his way to Singapore.
"Maldives is India’s key neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and occupies a special place in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy. In recent years, the partnership has witnessed rapid growth in all areas of cooperation. President Solih’s upcoming official visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review the progress made in this wide-ranging partnership and lend further momentum to it," said the official statement from MEA, issued on Thursday.