Sushma Swaraj meets Maldives Foreign Minister in Delhi

The Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid met India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Monday during his maiden four-day visit to the country.

"Working together to fulfill the developmental priorities of Maldives. EAM @SushmaSwaraj and FM of Maldives @abdulla_shahid had a warm and productive meeting on deepening bilateral cooperation and to ensure peace and security in the region," the Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Shahid is scheduled to meet with President Ram Nath Kovind on November 27 before he departs for the Maldives in the evening.

The Maldivian Foreign Minister's visit significantly adds to the relationship shared between Maldives and India, as it comes right after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Maldives for the swearing-in of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

In an exclusive interview to ANI right before his meeting with the EAM, Shahid stated that India is a "best friend" to the Maldives who has always been there during the country's time of need. He further outlined that the country was looking for generous assistance from India in order to fulfill their electoral promises made to the people.

Shahid also underscored that a "new era of Maldives-India relation has begun.