Male, July 26: Hailing ties with India, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landmark two-day visit to the country, asserting that it has given a major boost to the bilateral ties between the two neighbours.

Speaking with the Indian media after the Maldives Independence Day celebrations where PM Modi was the 'Guest of Honour', the Maldivian President said, "India is one of the major countries that helps the Maldives with tourism. Definitely with the Prime Minister's visit, it is going to increase a lot. I am sure people-to-people exchanges between the two countries will also increase because of this visit."

Muizzu also called PM Modi a "wonderful" person, expressing appreciation for the efforts that the Indian leader has made over the last 11 years to put India-Maldives relations on a new trajectory.

"He's a wonderful person who is very fond of building the relationship between neighbours. The Maldives and India have a very good relationship that goes back centuries. With his leadership and the cooperation between our two countries, between the two governments, I'm sure it’s going to be even more prosperous in the days ahead," he mentioned.

He also talked about the agreements signed between both countries during PM Modi's two-day visit, affirming that they will help Maldives to move forward.

Later, taking to X, Muizzu wrote, "I extend heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his State Visit to the Maldives. We held fruitful discussions, witnessed the exchange of four MoUs and three agreements in vital areas, and announced the launch of FTA negotiations."

"Together, we celebrated the Maldives' 60th Independence Day, released a commemorative stamp marking 60 years of formal ties, and inaugurated key development projects under Indian assistance," he added.

Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Tourism and Environment of Maldives, also told IANS that the Indian Ocean archepalego's connectivity to the world will expand tremendously after the opening of the new terminal at the Velana airport in Hulhule Island.

"Last year, we received two million tourists, and our target for this year is 2.3 million. We hope to welcome 200,000 tourists from India alone. With the completion and opening of the new terminal at Velana International Airport, we expect greater connectivity across the world, including India," he said.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi attended the Independence Day celebrations of Maldives as the ‘Guest of Honour’ at Republic Square in Male along with the President of Maldives and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed.

PM Modi also held several significant meetings with members of several political parties of the Maldives. He noted that the participation of leaders across the political spectrum emphasises the bipartisan support for the "strong and time-tested friendship" between the two nations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other officials were also present during these meetings. (IANS)

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