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New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid said on Wednesday that the Maldives is not anyone’s battleground but a place where everyone comes together. The minister said the country is a friend to all and an enemy to no one.
The Maldives foreign minister was answering a question about the Maldives being seen as a place where India and China are always in competition.
“The Maldives is not anyone’s battleground. The Maldives is where everyone comes together. We set off with the premise that we are friends with everyone and enemies with no one,” Shahid said.
Shahid further stated: “Although our geographical reality is that India is our neighbor, our biggest neighbor, we are happy to have a good relationship with India.”
Maldives’ foreign minister said relations between the two countries had flourished during the administration of Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Saleh.
“We have confidence in India, whenever the Maldives calls international 911 for an emergency, India always responds. Not only does it respond, but India is always the first to respond,” Shahid said.
Shahid said that Maldives President Saleh’s foreign policy pursues India first policy. “We are encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy, Sagar policy, neighborhood first policy. This outstanding relationship has flourished,” he said.
During his visit to India, Abdullah Shahid said: “It is a pleasure to visit Delhi. The visit was the most constructive and fruitful. Yesterday I met the Foreign Minister, during which we reviewed ongoing development cooperation projects. In addition, we exchanged views on international developments and issues closely related to our two countries.”
During the visit, the two sides exchanged nine memorandums of understanding on high-impact development projects, he said.
The two countries signed a number of memorandums of understanding on Tuesday covering the development of volleyball courts, mental health centres, school digitization projects, upgrading hospitals and schools and preserving culture.
Maldives Foreign Minister says India has saved the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Foreign Minister of the Maldives said: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the whole world was in lockdown, India came to our rescue. There was one instance where our national trade organization, which is responsible for importing all medicines into the country, had booked many of the medicines needed, And these medicines are distributed in five different locations in India.”
“India was on lockdown, but then the Indian Air Force made sure they collected from these various locations and flew all these planes to Mali, and delivered them. If that didn’t happen, then we wouldn’t be able to get the essential medicines we need, “He said.
Abdullah Shahid arrived in India on Monday for a two-day official visit.
Shahid interacted with the non-resident ambassador and high commissioner of the Maldives in New Delhi on Tuesday. Shahid said he discussed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation and increasing people-to-people engagement.
Shahid spoke at length about climate change on Tuesday, saying everyone wants small island states to be part of the climate change debate.
Speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in the national capital today, Abdullah Shahid said: “We will never give up because we cannot. Everyone who wants to talk about climate change, they want to Talk about climate change.” Small Island States. They want us to participate in the debate. ” (Arnie)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a syndicated news feed, the latest staff may not have revised or edited the body of content)
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