National: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who arrived for a 5-day official visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial guard of honor at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, October 7. Upon his arrival at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he was received by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Significantly, after the conclusion of the ceremonial welcome, President Droupadi Murmu and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu also introduced each other to their respective country's ministers and delegation at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Additionally, the Maldivian President also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh accompanied him to Rajghat.

EAM Jaishankar calls on Maldivian President

Earlier, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar called on Maldivian President Muizzu, as the latter reached New Delhi on an official bilateral visit. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the EAM shared the details of the discussions held during the meeting. He said, "Pleased to call on President Muizzu today at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment to enhance India-Maldives relationship. Confident that his talks with PM Narendra Modi tomorrow will give a new impetus to our friendly ties." 

About the visit

Muizzu arrived on a five-day (6-10 October) state visit to New Delhi on Sunday. He had earlier visited India in June 2024 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. However, the present visit marked as his first bilateral visit to India.

Moreover, during his visit to India, Muizzu will meet his Indian counterpart President Droupadi Murmu and hold discussions with PM Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest. He will also visit Mumbai and Bengaluru where he would be attending business events.