Foreign Minister and 76th UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid has arrived in India on an official visit. Shahid's visit to India coincides with Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed's unofficial visit to the neighboring country.
Shahid's Spokesperson said in a statement that Shahid's visit is an official visit in his capacity as President of the UN General Assembly. Shahid's expenses are being covered by the Government of India and the Trust Fund run by the Office of the Speaker of the General Assembly. The Spokesperson said Shahid would be in India Sunday and Monday.
During his visit, Shahid is scheduled to meet senior Indian officials and hold official talks on UN-related issues.
Shahid will meet Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. The main discussion will focus on enhancing India's participation in the United Nations.
Shahid visited Kuwait and Tajikistan before leaving for India.
Shahid was elected to the UN General Assembly for a one-year term, which expires next month.
Both Shahid and Nasheed speak out in India's interest on issues related to the Maldives and India and have close relations with the country.
