India attaches high importance to Maldives: PM tells Gayoom

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India attaches high importance to its relations with Maldives and is willing to assist it in its endeavour to build a stable, peaceful and prosperous country.
He stated this while receiving Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, former Maldivian President and Leader of the Progressive Party, who is visiting India to attend the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2015.
Modi said that he looked forward to an early visit to Maldives that would provide an opportunity to further enhance the close and multifaceted relations between India and the Maldives, including in areas of trade, tourism, youth and people-to-people exchanges.

During the meeting, he emphasised that the two countries not only shared history, but also shared destinies and have commonalities of interest in ensuring peace and security in the region.
The Prime Minister conveyed that India attached high importance to its relations with Maldives, a PMO statement said.
He reiterated India's willingness to continue to assist the Government and people of Maldives in their endeavours of building a stable, peaceful and prosperous country, it said.

Thanking Modi for India's consistent support to Maldives in its all-round development, Gayoom said for his country, relations with India were of utmost priority not only in the region, but also in the world.

Both exchanged views on the challenges facing developing countries, especially small island States, from climate change.
Gayoom also tweeted, "Thank you Hon PM @narendramodi. It was a great privilege calling on Your Excellency today. Maldives and India are great traditional friends.