UN General Assembly President-elect Abdulla Shahid meets PM Modi, lauds India's continuous support

NEW DELHI: President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lauded India's continuous support and assistance for the development of the country.

"Honoured to call on Prime Minister of India @narendramodi. Extended appreciation for the continuous support & assistance extended by India for the development of Maldives. Also thanked India for the support to the Presidency Of Hope and briefed him on my priorities for UNGA76," Abdulla Shahid tweeted.

Delighted to meet President-Elect of the 76th UNGA and FM of Maldives H.E. Abdulla Shahid. I wish him all success during his "Presidency of Hope". Also reiterated India's commitment to Maldives, as a key pillar of our "Neighborhood First" policy. pic.twitter.com/buHPsevqLU

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2021

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi also said, "Delighted to meet President-Elect of the 76th UNGA and FM of Maldives Abdulla Shahid. I wish him all success during his "Presidency of Hope". Also reiterated India's commitment to the Maldives, as a key pillar of our "Neighborhood First" policy."

According to a release by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi congratulated Abdulla Shahid on his resounding victory in the election, noting that this reflects the growing stature of the Maldives on the world stage.

The Prime Minister felicitated the President-elect on his Vision Statement for a 'Presidency of Hope', and assured him of India's full support and cooperation during his Presidency.

PM Modi emphasised the importance of reforming the multilateral system, including the United Nations organs, to reflect the current realities of the world and the aspirations of a vast majority of the world's population, the release stated.

PM Modi and Abdulla Shahid also discussed the rapid growth in the India-Maldives bilateral relationship in recent years. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that bilateral projects are progressing well despite the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He emphasised the importance of Maldives as a key pillar of India's Neighbourhood First policy and vision of SAGAR.