Munu Mahawar, the new High Commissioner of India to the Maldives has presented his Letter of Credence to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The ceremony where High Commissioner Mahawar presented his credentials to the Maldivian president was held at the President’s Office on Wednesday.

Following the ceremony, the pair engaged in discussions revolving around ways through which the friendly relations enjoyed between both countries may be solidified further.

As such, congratulating the new High Commissioner on assuming office, the Maldivian president shed light on the close bilateral relations enjoyed by the two nations, going on to highlight that no other nation can take the place India holds for Maldives, as a special relationship has always been shared with the neighboring country.

Conveying regards from the President and the Prime Minister of India, High Commissioner Mahawar applauded the Solih administration for the multiple achievements within the past three years, especially in successfully curbing the spread of coronavirus as well as the strides in the economic recovery efforts.

The meeting also saw the pair expressing commitment to further cooperation and assistance in all efforts towards mutually beneficial areas.

HC Mahawar and President Solih went on to agree on further solidifying bilateral relations between Maldives and India, in areas of mutual interest including socio-economic development, human resource development, security cooperation, and climate change.

Stressing that climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the Maldives, President Solih noted that the country will continue to advocate for more ambitious action on climate change and praised the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi for his resilience in the COP26 Summit, pledging to cut its emissions to net-zero by 2070.

The Maldivian president expressed hope that Maldives and India will continue to achieve newer and greater heights under the tenure of the new Indian HC.

The pair expressed confidence to further the strong bonds between Maldives and India, during the meeting.

Mahawar officially assumed office as the new High Commissioner of India to Maldives, earlier in November.

India’s President Ram Nath Kovind presented High Commissioner Mahawar with his Letter of Credence at the official Presidential Residence in India, Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 5.

This comes following Mahawar’s predecessor Sunjay Sudhir’s recent appointment as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

Sudhir’s tenure as ambassador to Maldives began in 2019.

High Commissioner Mahawar most recently served as the Ambssador of India to the Sultanate of Oman. He ended his ambassadorial tenure after expressing confidence that the special relationship with Oman would continue to grow in the years ahead.