Swaraj meets top Maldivian leadership; discusses cooperation in defence, health

India and the Maldives on Sunday discussed measures to strengthen bilateral ties and collaborate in the fields of defence, development cooperation, capacity building and health as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the country's top leadership, including her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid.

Swaraj arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit, the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the island nation after the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power in November last year.

Swaraj and Maldivian Foreign Minister Shahid reviewed progress on important bilateral issues, including implementation of agreed outcomes of President Solih's visit to India last year, External Affairs Ministry (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

They agreed on a broad spectrum of issues for further collaboration, including development cooperation and enhancing people-to-people contact.

Solih visited India in December last year during which India announced a