India, Maldives hold meeting to resolve disputes

New Delhi, May 3

Days before the possible visit of Maldives Foreign Minister, India and the Maldives held the fourth meeting of the India-Maldives high-level core group here on Friday.

The core group was set to resolve issues that have affected the relationship after new Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu announced that he would review Male’s dependency on Indian security and economic assistance.

“Both sides continued their discussions on defence cooperation, development cooperation projects, efforts to enhance bilateral trade and investment, and capacity-building initiatives,” stated an MEA release.

However, a Maldivian statement said that both sides also reviewed “the ongoing efforts to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medevac services to the people of Maldives”. It was further agreed that the fifth meeting of the core group will be held in Male on a mutually agreeable date during the months of June and July, it added.