External affairs minister S Jaishankar on a visit to Male, Colombo- The New Indian Express

Specific Information Service

NEW DELHI: Exterior Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, is visiting India’s maritime neighbours – the Maldives and Sri Lanka – within the subsequent two days.

He has left for the Maldives right this moment and will probably be in Addu metropolis until tomorrow. Dr Jaishankar will name on Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and maintain discussions with the Minister of Overseas Affairs Abdulla Shahid.

“EAMs go to will see the signing of a number of agreements associated to the bilateral improvement cooperation, inauguration/handing over and launch of numerous key initiatives (supported by India) that might contribute to the socio-economic improvement of the Maldives and improve its safety,” based on Ministry of Exterior Affairs.

On Monday, Dr Jaishankar will probably be in Sri Lanka the place he could have interactions along with his counterpart Prof G L Peiris. The main focus will probably be on India’s neighbourhood first coverage.

Jaishankar may even attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Financial Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in Colombo.

Each Maldives and Sri Lanka are India’s key maritime neighbours within the Indian Ocean Area and occupy a particular place within the Prime Minister’s imaginative and prescient of ‘SAGAR’ and Neighbourhood First.