India And Maldives Sign Six Agreements; Delegation level Talks Between Prime Minister Narendra Modi And Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih Fruitful

Picture : Twitter/ ANI

India and Maldives on Tuesday inked six agreements to expand cooperation in several key areas with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that New Delhi has been and will continue to be the “first responder” to any need or crisis facing the island nation.

After wide-ranging talks with visiting Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Modi announced a Line of Credit of USD 100 million (one million = 10 lakh)for the neighbouring country for the completion of development projects in a time-bound manner.

“We also reviewed projects for the construction of 4000 social housing units in Greater Male today. I am happy to announce that we will additionally provide financial support for 2,000 social housing units,” he said in his media statement.

“We have also decided to provide an additional line of credit of USD 100 million so that all projects can be completed in a time-bound manner,” he added.

The prime minister said the threat of trans-national crime, terrorism and drug trafficking is serious in the Indian Ocean and close India-Maldives ties were vital for peace in the entire region.