Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in the Maldives.
The Prime Minister was greeted at Velana International Airport by Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.
This is PM Modi's first visit abroad after securing a second term as the Prime Minister in the Indian General Elections last month, and will be visiting neighboring Sri Lanka after concluding the visit to Maldives. He has stated that visits indicate the importance the Indian government attaches to the policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ to further cement ties with its key maritime neighbors.
Prime Minister Modi will be officially welcomed at the Republic Square in capital Male' at 4:00 pm. Six agreements on five key sectors will be signed between both countries during the state visit. In addition to inaugurating two projects, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the Maldivian parliament at 6:45pm.