<span style="color: #222222;">External Affairs Minister Dr S  Jaishankar arrived in Male, Maldives yesterday evening on a two-day official visit. He was welcomed by the Foreign Minister of the Island Nation Abdulla Shahid. In a tweet, the External Affairs Minister said, India Maldives special partnership is poised to deepen further.<br />''<br />''speaking at a joint press conference along with Mr. Shahid last night after their talks, Dr. Jaishankar said, our time-tested relationship is poised for a quantum jump to touch the lives of the people of the two countries like never before. Dr. Jaishankar said, we are partners in development, we are promoting peace and security, and our relationship, in many ways, serves as a model for the region.<br />''<br />''He further said, this is a partnership that tackles common challenges of regional development, which addresses disruptions and disasters. It is a partnership that is a force for stability in the region and, it is our shared responsibility to nurture, to strengthen it and to take it forward, he added.<br />''<br />''Dr Jaishankar is scheduled to call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The External Affairs Minister is on a five-day official visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka, following the invitations of his counterparts from these two countries. Dr Jaishankar's three-day visit to Sri Lanka will start tomorrow. During his stay in Sri Lanka, he will also participate in the BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Tuesday in Colombo.<br />''<br />''The External Affairs Minister's visit will see the signing of several agreements related to the bilateral development cooperation, inauguration and handing-over and launch of a number of key India-supported projects that will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Maldives and enhance its security.</span><br />