India on Friday said the Speaker of People’s Republic of Maldives accompanied by a parliamentary delegation will visit the country from February 10-14 next year. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita informed the Lok Sabha in a written response to a query.

He was asked whether a number of parliamentary exchanges have been conducted by the government recently in alignment with the emphasis on the ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy adopted in the recent years. The query also sought details of all parliamentary exchanges held in the recent years with special reference to the People’s Majlis of Maldives.

“In keeping with the objectives of the ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy for enhancing people to people relations, regular parliamentary exchanges with our neighbouring countries have been taking place over the years,” he said. In his response, he also shared details of the recent parliamentary exchanges with the neighbouring countries including with the Maldives.

“At the invitation of Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha, Speaker of People’s Republic of Maldives accompanied by a parliamentary delegation will visit India from 10-14 February 2025,” the minister said. He informed the Lower House that the Lok Sabha Speaker visited Maldives from September 1-4 in 2019; and the Speaker of Maldives visited India in December 2019, in April 2022 and in August 2022.

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu had visited India in October this year and held “extensive” talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He had said in joint press conference after meeting Modi that the ties between the Maldives and India are “centuries-old, as evident throughout our histories”. Besides, Margherita said, an 11-member Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker visited India from December 16-20 in 2023.