Indian external affairs minister calls on President Yameen

India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on President Abdulla Yameen this morning ahead of crucial bilateral talks.

Rajeev Shahare, the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, accompanied Swaraj. Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon and Foreign Secretary Dr Ali Naseer accompanied Yameen.

#Indian External Affairs Minister Ms. @SushmaSwaraj pays a courtesy call on President pic.twitter.com/jLu19aWVuG

— Presidency Maldives (@presidencymv) October 11, 2015

EAM signs Visitor's Book in President's Office. Says we are committed to working w/Maldives in accordance with our Neighbours First policy.

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) October 11, 2015

The president’s office declined to reveal details of the brief meeting.

A meeting of the Maldives – India joint commission is now underway. Dunya and Swaraj are heading their respective delegations. The commission will review and charter the course for future bilateral ties. It is taking place after a 15-year hiatus.

Maldives follows a 'India First' policy, says Foreign Secretary Dr. Ali Naseer Mohamed at the Joint Commission. pic.twitter.com/P8j02o52Lm

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) October 11, 2015

The foreign ministry has said that the fifth session of the joint commission “will be an opportunity for the Maldives and India to further enhance the existing close cordial ties between the two countries.”

Swaraj is the highest-ranking Indian official to visit the Maldives since the February political crisis, triggered by the arrest and imprisonment of opposition leaders, including former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dropped the Maldives off his Indian Ocean tour in March.

According to Indian media, Swaraj will discuss defence and security ties and cooperation in a range of areas including energy.

On the jailing of Nasheed, a ministry spokesperson told The New Indian Express: “We hope that the outcome will be seen by everybody as fair. The outcome must be seen to be fair.”

India has not made any public statements on Nasheed’s case since his conviction in March or after a UN human rights panel ruled his imprisonment arbitrary.

Swaraj’s visit comes amid growing concern over opposition leader former President Mohamed Nasheed’s continued detention despite United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN WGAD) ruling that his arrest, trial, conviction and subsequent detention is “illegal and arbitrary.”

India’s ruling BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy last week called on Modi to send a special envoy to Maldives to secure Nasheed’s release. He described Nasheed’s trial as “politically biased, inadequate and subject to external influence.”