NEW DELHI: After having long been at the receiving end of Chinese expansion in the Maldives , India seems to be clawing back some of its earlier influence with the strategically located country.As PM Narendra Modi landed in Male on Saturday, Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid told TOI that India had a key role to play in the maintenance of peace and stability in the Indian Ocean, and in turn the development and security of the Maldives.Modi’s is the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM to the Maldives — seen until recently in China’s economic and security grip — in eight years. Male on Saturday conferred on Modi its highest honour to foreign dignitaries, “The order of the distinguished rule of Nishan Izzuddeen”.“The Maldives recognises the profound link between stability and peace in the Indian Ocean, and the stability, peace and progress of the Maldives,” said Shahid in an interaction with TOI.Both countries had cooperated in joint patrolling, aerial surveillance, held joint exercises, and trilateral exercises with Sri Lanka.“The purpose of these exercises is to maintain peace in the Indian Ocean. India is also working with our security personnel, and police, to expand their capacity and increase technical know-how”.Modi will be inaugurating a training centre for the Maldivian defence forces during his visit, his first abroad since returning to power. India’s security role in the region was most undermined by the previous Abdulla Yameen government to throw out Indian military choppers from the archipelago. The situation though was upended by the ouster of Yameen and with the Ibrahim Solih government taking over.“The Maldives is the only country in South Asia that PM Modi had not visited, and for him to visit now, signals the Indian government’s trust in the President Solih government...,” said Shahid.“India has been a constant friend and a partner in the development journey of the Maldives. Most recently, India has extended a package of $1.4 billion, including budgetary support, currency swap and line of credit,” he added.This year we will mark 54 years since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations but, as Shahid said, the ties go beyond that.“Our people are connected, through shared values, culture, and affinity. With the recent entry into force of the Visa Facilitation Agreement, these people-to-people ties have expanded and strengthened,” said the foreign minister, acknowledging India’s support to human development and capacity building.Shahid said Male was working with India to expand cooperation in health sector, to train health care professionals in the country, in addition to doctors and nurses at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital.