Thank you very much.
As you all know we have a very long standing relationship with India. We are almost about to celebrate 50 years of our long existing bond with India. India has always been very receptive, very eager to all our calls. In times of difficulties India has always been there to support us.
As a goodwill gesture, my first visit out of country, after I assumed presidency, is to India. And India is also currently the most important member of the SAARC. We are looking at India for regional strength, and also global politics and international relations, we look up to India’s leadership.
India and Maldives, our common peoples, we have a common destiny. So we believe it is under Indian leadership that we will be able to seek salvation from the poverty and difficult situation we have in this part of the world.
As my people expect from my trip to India, and as you questioned, as you rightly asked, I hope to achieve substantive progress as far as India-Maldives relationship is concerned. Foreign policy, domestic policy, areas of interest like maritime security, we have a very strong bond with India, and our understanding on international matters, as far as these issues are concerned, we have common understanding. Out of my visit I’m hoping that, as we have a very daunting task ahead of me, we are hoping that Indian investors will come to Maldives. We will be able to attract India’s investments in to the Maldives.
Out of my trip to India this time, I’m hoping that a lot of the difficulties we face currently, especially in economics, India will be always there as a good friend to help us out of these difficulties. I’m very hopeful that my trip is going to be a rewarding one as far as my people’s expectations are concerned. So far India has never let us down.
So the relationship we have with India, we cherish this relationship. We have very good understanding over the past almost 50 years. So my administration is totally committed to strengthening this relationship and cementing further the diplomatic relationships, the bilateral, the kinship we have with India. So without a doubt, this trip is going to be a very rewarding trip for the Maldivian people. And I’m hoping that through India’s leadership in the region, and also India’s leadership in SAARC matters, globally as a regional trading bloc, we will be relevant to international, global politics as well.