Modi likely to visit Maldives

Narendra Modi is likely to travel to Maldives on June 7-8 afterassuming office for the second term as the Prime Minister in his firstbilateral visit.

According to sources, Narendra Modi had earlier visited the island country in November last year to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih after he surprisingly defeated Abdulla Yameen in the presidential polls.

Modi's visit to Maldives last year was followed by Sohil's visit to India in December after New Delhi had announced financial assistance of USD 1.4 billion to Male in the form of budgetary support, currency swap and concessional lines of credit to fulfill the socio-economic development programmes in the country.

The two leaders had agreed to work together to createinstitutional linkages during Solih's visit to India and also to establish aframework of cooperation in health cooperation issues particularly cancertreatment, mutual legal assistance on criminal matters, investment promotion,human resource development and tourism.

Both Modi and Solih had emphasized the need to improve theconnectivity between the two countries through the establishment of enablinginfrastructure that would promote the exchange of goods and services,information, ideas, culture and people.