Antony will also attend the closing session of the India-Maldives Friendship function besides paying a visit to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. The 200-bed general and specialty hospital has over the years provided the Maldives greater self-reliance in the field of medical care.

The Maldives consists of over 1,100 islets of which around 200 are inhabited and has shared 'ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links' with India.

India was among the first to recognise the Maldives after independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with it. India's prompt assistance during the 1988 coup attempt, which diffused the crisis, represents a watershed in India-Maldives relations.

More recently, when tsunami waves hit the Maldives on Dec 26, 2004, India was the first country to rush relief and aid there. In April 2006, India gifted a fast attack craft, INS Tillanchang, to the country.

For India, the Indian Ocean region, which straddles from Australia to Africa, has become strategically important with China also striving to increase its footprint. The Indian Navy has been working towards expanding its influence over about 30 countries in the region, including Maldives.