Maldives Prez Solih calls India 'our closest friend'

The new president of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, said India "is not only our closest friend, but it is also our largest trading partner". Solih defeated strongman Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who had forged increasingly closer to ties to China, in a September election.India has long seen the Indian Ocean nation as part of its sphere of influence.

from Times of India https://ift.tt/2zYp57i