Maldivian Foreign Minister to visit India on May 9

New Delhi: (PTI) Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer will visit India on May 9, in the first high-level trip from Male after the Maldives' pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu assumed office six months ago. Announcing Zameer's visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said it is expected to lend further momentum to the bilateral cooperation.

The ties between the two countries came under severe strain in view of Muizzu insisting on the withdrawal of Indian military personnel operating three military platforms in the island nation.

India has already withdrawn most of its military personnel. President Muizzu had set May 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the Indian military troops from his country.

"Moosa Zameer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, will be in India on an official visit on May 9," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.

It said Zameer will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

"The Maldives is India's key maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region and Foreign Minister Zameer's visit is expected to lend further momentum to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries," the MEA said in a statement.

The Maldivian foreign ministry said Zameer will hold talks with Jaishankar focusing on "deepening and expanding the longstanding" Maldives-India partnership.

"This is Foreign Minister Zameer's first official visit to India since assuming office," it said.