The visiting Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is slated to have a delegation level talks with the Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh here on Thursday.

This is Gayoom's first visit abroad after assuming the presidency of the Maldives in November 2013. He is accompanied by his wife Fathimath Ibrahim and a high level delegation consisting of four Cabinet ministers, leader of the coalition partner party.

India's relations with the Maldives were soured after the cancellation the GMR bid. When asked about GMR issue being raised during Gayoom's vist, the Official Spokesperson in the Indian External Affairs Ministry, Syed Akbaruddin said : ' My understanding of the issue of GMR and the Government of Maldives is that it is in arbitration and that will take its due course, and both the Government of Maldives and GMR have said that they will proceed on that lines. I have no idea of any specific meetings on that issue.'

However, the safety of Indian business and people in the Maldives will come up for discussion and the Maldivian President is slated to address a business summit jointly organised by the three apex Indian industry bodies – FICCI, CII and Assocham here on Thursday.

There are about 30,000 Indians in the Maldives.

India is also likely to discuss defence and maritime cooperation with the Maldivies. The Trilateral India-Maldives-Sri Lanka maritime and defence cooperation will figure in the talks.

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee will host a banquet in honour of the Maldivian President on Thursday. The External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Defence Minister AK Antony and the Leader of the Opposition will call on President Gayoom. On Friday President Gayoom will leave for site seeing at Udaipur and on Saturday would visit Agra.