Maldives President Abdulla Yameen arrives: On cards, signing of pacts on security, tourism

Yameen’s visit comes at a time when there are mounting tensions between both countries over the arrest of their former president Nasheed and his subsequent sentencing last year.

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Union Minister Mahesh Sharma receives Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in Delhi Sunday. (Express Photo: Amit Mehra)

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom arrived Sunday on a two-day official visit to India in an effort to further bilateral ties with its SAARC neighbour. He is expected to sign a slew of agreements covering the fields of security and tourism.

Yameen’s visit comes at a time when there are mounting tensions between both countries over the arrest of their former president Nasheed and his subsequent sentencing last year.

At that time, India had expressed serious concerns on the arrest and manhandling of former president Nasheed and had urged the Maldivian government to resolve their differences under the constitutional and legal framework.

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Additionally, due to these developments at that time, PM Narendra Modi avoided a visit to the archipelago. This is despite the fact that President Yameen was among the SAARC leaders to have attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in May 2014.

In fact, Yameen’s first state visit after assumption of office was to India in January 2014.

His itinerary includes a meeting and working lunch with Modi on Monday and a call on the President Pranab Mukherjee the same evening. Later, he will be meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

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