“Key feature of our friendship has been the eagerness with which we have supported each other at all times” – President Yameen

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has this evening said that the key feature of the Indo-Maldives friendship has been the eagerness with which we have supported each other at all times. He made the statement in his speech at the State Banquet hosted by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, in honour of President Yameen and First Lady Madam Fathimath Ibrahim. The State Banquet was held at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

In his speech, the President noted with immense satisfaction, that the two Governments have agreed on boosting ties at the bilateral, sub-regional and regional levels, which will enable the two countries to realise their collective developmental aspirations, and contribute to peace, prosperity and security in the South Asian region.

Highlighting the lasting generosity of India, President Yameen underlined Maldives’ continuous support to India in all areas.

“In every hour of national distress, be it a foreign terrorist coup attempt as with the 1988 mercenary attack, or a natural catastrophe such as the 2004 Asian Tsunami, India helped us wholeheartedly and generously in restoring normalcy to the lives of our people. For our part, we have always expressed our support and demonstrated our solidarity to India in every way possible, especially in the international arena.”

In his speech, the President said that the member states of South Asia could collectively reverse the worrying trend of victimization and neglect in matters of global interest, by “pooling our human, natural and financial resources, and propelling ourselves as a formidable bargaining bloc”.

Pointing out that the Indian Sub-Continent was a location of strategic importance with rich resources and geographic conveniences, the President noted that it was our responsibility, from national, regional and international perspectives, to ensure continued peace, security and stability in South Asia.

“Our two countries and peoples are upbeat over and expectant of the prospects of accelerated development and growth in the coming years. To realise this dream of a more prosperous South Asia, it is of the utmost importance to promote bilateral trade and investment, develop sustainable infrastructure, establish development finance institutions and work closely on economic cooperation in key sectors of growth, all of which have been landmarks of the bilateral exchanges during this visit”, said the President.