Male, July 25 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu jointly inaugurated the state-of-the-art Ministry of Defence (MoD) building of Maldives in Male.

Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the eleven-storey building is a symbol of the strong and long-standing defence and security cooperation between the two countries, according to a release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The MoD building has been constructed with India's financial assistance and will contribute towards enhancing the capabilities of the defence and law enforcement authorities of the Maldives.

As PM Modi arrived at the venue, he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds chanting "Narendra Modi Zindabad" and holding banners that read -- "...