Krishna to talk to Maldivian foreign minister

New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) Nearly two months after a sudden transfer of power in the Indian Ocean atoll nation, Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdulla arrived here Monday on his first visit abroad to intensify consultations with India on the situation in his country.

Abdullah is set to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Tuesday, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.

Issues relating to political stability and progress on talks on early elections are among key issues that will be discussed, informed sources said.

In the wake of the Feb 7 transfer of power in the Maldives that ousted the first democratically elected government of Mohamed Nasheed, India had sent Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai to Male twice to assess the situation and help mediate a political settlement among feuding political parties.

In early March, Mathai helped broker a deal which envisaged a broad consensus for early elections in a "quick timeframe" and a growing recognition of India's role as a facilitator in resolving the political crisis.

But there has been no tangible progress on early elections.

In his talks, Krishna is expected to press his Maldivian counterpart to stick to the roadmap unveiled by Maldives President Mohammed Waheed Hassan and endorsed by key political parties.