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President Nasheed to visit India

President Mohamed Nasheed will be making a state visit to India next week, Miadhu learns from informed sources. This is going to be the first visit abroad of the President after assuming office on 11 November. President Nasheed will be meeting Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other key dignitaries of the Indian Government. The President will hold discussions with Indian leaders on bilateral relations and Indian Government cooperation to the Maldives.

Maldives enjoys strong and cordial relations with India and has been a major partner of Maldives development extending generous assistance. Indian Government has pledged $100 million in aid to Maldives during the recent visit of the new Government's Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed. More cooperation has been pledged by India when the State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem visited India last week. Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari attended the inauguration of President Nasheed on 11 November.

The main tertiary hospital of Maldives Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and the Faculty of Engineering (formerly Institute of engineering) have been donated by Indian Government. India has also trained large number of Maldivian doctors, nurses, teachers and other personal in many fields. India provided military assistance to the Maldives during the 1988 armed aggression.

Source: Miadhu