Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer praised India's decision to renew the quota for essential commodities, emphasizing the deepening bilateral ties and efforts to expand trade. The renewal covers various commodities for 2024-25, marking the highest approved quantities since the 1981 agreement.
Under this agreement, India has removed export restrictions on items such as potatoes, onions, eggs, rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal, stone aggregates, and river sand, significantly benefiting Maldives' construction sector.
The Indian High Commissioner announced this move through a post on social media platform X, mentioning that it was done "under a unique bilateral mechanism," leading to upward revisions in quotas for each item.
Zameer expressed gratitude on X, stating, "I sincerely thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of #India for renewing the quota to enable #Maldives to import essential commodities during 2024 and 2025. This gesture signifies our longstanding friendship and commitment to expand bilateral trade."
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated the country's commitment to its Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies despite recent diplomatic challenges. Both nations aim to strengthen economic cooperation, with bilateral trade surpassing USD 500 million in 2022.
India and Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, facilitating the export of essential commodities. Dal, stone aggregate, and river sand are among the products where export restrictions have been lifted. The specified quantities include 21,513.08 tonnes of potatoes, 35,749.13 tonnes of onions, 1,24,218.36 tonnes of rice, 1,09,162.96 tonnes of wheat flour, 64,494.33 tonnes of sugar, and 224.48 tonnes of dal.
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