Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid, on a visit to India, has called for a “peaceful, prosperous and stable” Indian Ocean and added that it is essential for the "stability" of the Maldives. 

Shahid, who is on a two-day India visit, on Thursday met with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest. He also thanked India for its support for the Maldives’ candidature for the UNGA presidency. 

"We will work with all our neighbors in making sure the region continues to be peaceful,” he was quoted as saying by Wion. Calling his country “the heart of the Indian Ocean”, Shahid said, “the prosperity of the Indian Ocean, it is the essential Maldives be stable and essential. Therefore, we will work with all our neighbors in making sure that this is maintained”

He hailed India’s assistance in providing vaccines to the Maldives and informed that around 67 percent of the country’s population have been vaccinated so far. 

In the past few months, New Delhi has stepped up trilateral cooperations, and engagements in the region involving Sri Lanka and the Maldives, mainly to address challenges like terror, piracy, and drug smuggling.  The three nations had also held a trilateral NSA level meet early this year.