The visit of PGA-Elect will provide an opportunity to exchange views on several global challenges

President-Elect of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives Abdulla Shahid will be arriving in New Delhi on a three-day visit from tomorrow. He is visiting India at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, during the visit, the PGA-Elect will pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will be holding talks with the EAM on key international, multilateral, regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest.

EAM Jaishankar will also be hosting an official dinner in honour of the visiting dignitary.

The PGA-Elect will also share his vision for UNGA Presidency through a virtual public address titled “Presidency of Hope: COVID Pandemic and Need for Reformed Multilateralism” on July 23 forenoon at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) premises at Sapru House, New Delhi.

The visit of PGA-Elect will provide an opportunity to exchange views on several global challenges that the United Nations is currently seized with.

It will also give us an opportunity to reiterate India’s abiding commitment to multilateralism and to the UN’s leadership in confronting these challenges.

India would be the first country that Abdulla Shahid would be visiting in his official capacity as PGA-Elect since his election on June 7, 2021

PGA-elect Abdulla Shahid had last visited India in April 2021 in his capacity as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives.

Maldives occupies a central place as part of India’s Neighbourhood First policy and the SAGAR vision of Prime Minister Modi and the two Ministers are also expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation between the two sides, the MEA said.

The discussions are expected to give further momentum to the rapidly expanding ties between the two countries.

An agreement for High Impact Community Development Projects to be implemented with Indian grant assistance in the Maldives will also be signed during the visit.