Visit of External Affairs Minister to Maldives

State Visit Foreign Minister To Maldivas

Question: Recently 5th India-Maldives Joint Commission meeting was held at-

(a) Male

(b) New Delhi

(c) Ahmadabad

(d) Mumbai

Ans : (a)

Related Facts:

  • External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj visited Maldives on October 10-11, 2015.
  • She co-chaired the 5th Meeting of the India-Maldives Joint Commission.
  • The Joint Commission was set up under the 1986 Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation and first met in Male in 1990.
  • During her visit Foreign Minister met President of the Republic of Maldives Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
  • President Yameen and external affairs minister exchanged views on a qualitative enhancement in the multifaceted relationship between India and Maldives and in addressing the common challenges in the Indian Ocean Region.
  • President Yameen conveyed that Maldives would hold an Investment Forum in India in 2016, which is also the ‘Visit Maldives’ year. He reiterated Maldives’ policy of ‘India First’.
  • These discussions held special significance not only because the Joint Commission was meeting after a gap of 15 years but also because the meeting took place in the year of the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Maldives.
  • The defence and security relationship was part of the forward looking discussions in the Joint Commission for the first time.
  • India-Maldives defence cooperation includes, inter-alia, the construction of a Composite Training Centre for the Maldivian National Defence Forces, joint patrolling, and training programs for MNDF officers in India, medical camps, joint exercises.
  • Both sides agreed on cooperation in the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies.
  • The Joint Commission welcomed the signing of the MoU between the Foreign Service Institutes of India and Maldives and the MoU on Youth Affairs and Sports on the sidelines of the Joint Commission.
  • The Maldivian side welcomed the joint initiative to establish an e-Library for Maldivian schools and the Indian initiative to establish a Hindi language Chair at the Maldives National University.
  • ​The next meeting of the India-Maldives Joint Commission would be in 2017 in India.

Reference:

http://www.mea.gov.in/outgoing-visit-info.htm?2/814/Visit+of+External+Affairs+Minister+to+Maldives+October+1011+2015
http://www.mea.gov.in/outoging-visit-detail.htm?25911/Visit+of+External+Affairs+Minister+to+Maldives