{"id":118867,"date":"2025-07-27T21:03:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T21:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/27\/india-maldives-ties-remain-strong-says-pm-modi-during-60th-independence-anniversary-celebrations\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T21:03:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T21:03:53","slug":"india-maldives-ties-remain-strong-says-pm-modi-during-60th-independence-anniversary-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/india-maldives-ties-remain-strong-says-pm-modi-during-60th-independence-anniversary-celebrations\/","title":{"rendered":"India-Maldives Ties Remain Strong, Says PM Modi During 60th Independence Anniversary Celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>MALE, Maldives July 27 \u2013<\/strong> Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India\u2019s unwavering support for the Maldives, stating that for India, the guiding principle has always been \u201cfriendship first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Speaking during the Maldives\u2019 60th Independence Day celebrations in Male\u2014where he was invited as the Guest of Honour\u2014PM Modi described the Maldives as a key partner in India\u2019s <em>Neighbourhood First<\/em> policy and <em>SAGAR<\/em> (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Maldives holds an important place in both India\u2019s Neighbourhood First policy and Ocean Vision. India is proud to be the Maldives\u2019 most trusted friend,\u201d said PM Modi. \u201cWhether during disasters or the pandemic, India has always stood by the Maldives as a first responder\u2014providing essential supplies and economic support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>PM Modi congratulated President Mohamed Muizzu and the Maldivian people on the milestone anniversary and highlighted the deep-rooted historical ties between the two nations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn behalf of all Indians, I convey heartfelt congratulations to the President and the people of the Maldives. This year also marks 60 years of our diplomatic ties, though our relationship predates recorded history\u2014deep as the sea,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>As a symbol of cultural ties, the two leaders jointly unveiled commemorative postage stamps featuring traditional boats from both countries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese stamps are more than symbols. They reflect that we are not just neighbours\u2014we are true friends,\u201d Modi remarked.<\/p>\n<p>In his remarks, President Muizzu thanked India for its continued support, citing the Greater Male Connectivity Project as a \u201clasting symbol\u201d of bilateral cooperation. He also welcomed India\u2019s assistance in strengthening the Maldives National Defence Force, including the provision of 72 vehicles, and the handover of 3,300 housing units under a 4,000-unit project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndia remains our principal partner in the health sector and a key source market for Maldivian tourism,\u201d said President Muizzu. \u201cWe discussed ways to expand this vital sector further, including through enhanced cooperation and the introduction of direct flights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The event underscored renewed diplomatic warmth following months of tension, with both leaders reiterating their commitment to deepening cooperation in infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, and defence.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MALE, Maldives July 27 \u2013 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India\u2019s unwavering support for the Maldives, stating that for India, the guiding principle has always been \u201cfriendship first.\u201d Speaking during the Maldives\u2019 60th Independence Day celebrations in Male\u2014where he was invited as the Guest of Honour\u2014PM Modi described the Maldives as a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118867\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}