President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said Maldives has a special place in India's neighbourhood first policy and the people of the two countries have enjoyed strong cultural, economic and trade ties for centuries.

Welcoming Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, Murmu said she was happy to receive a close friend of India and an eminent leader under whose leadership Maldives has emerged as a stable and prosperous nation.

Solih, who arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit, called on President Murmu.

She said Maldives is a major partner and close friend of India in the Indian Ocean region.

"The people of the two countries have enjoyed strong cultural, economic and trade ties for centuries. Maldives has a special place in India's ‘neighbourhood first policy',” Murmu was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President said the rapid expansion of India-Maldives development cooperation, defence and security initiatives, economic ties and people-to-people contact augurs well for India's relationship with the government and people of Maldives.

She said she was happy to note that India's need-based financial and development assistance is supporting the Maldives government's development priorities, it said.

President Murmu appreciated the courage and perseverance of the government and people of Maldives during the COVID-19 outbreak.

"She was happy to note that the strong India-Maldives cooperation during the pandemic has been lauded as a model for the entire region,” the statement said.

President Murmu noted that capacity building has emerged as a major pillar in the India-Maldives partnership.

She expressed confidence that the MoUs signed during this visit will further strengthen capacity building initiatives in Maldives, it added.

India and Maldives on Tuesday inked six agreements to expand cooperation in a range of areas including cyber security, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a USD 100 million financial aid to help the island nation complete certain infrastructure projects.