IANSMaleSri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in the Maldives yesterday to participate as a chief guest in a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the Independence of the Maldives.Sirisena’s visit is being made at the invitation of Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen.He was greeted on arrival at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport by Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dunya Maumoon, Minister at the President’s Office, Mohamed Hussain Shareef and Minister of Environment and Energy, Thoriq Ibrahim.Sirisena was also given an Honour Guard on arrival at the airport, by the Maldives National Defence Force.The Sri Lankan president is accompanied by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and other senior officials of his government.The visit is Sirisena’s first official visit to the Maldives. President Yamin had initially invited his Sri Lankan counterpart to make a visit at his earliest convenience in a congratulatory message sent to him following his victory at the January presidential elections.He is expected to hold official talks with President Yameen during his visit before returning to the island nation today.Nepal minister visiting Male: Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey is visiting the Maldives for two day (July 26 – 27), the Nepalese ministry of foreign affairs said.The foreign minister, who left Kathmandu for the Maldivian capital Male on Saturday evening, will be attending a ceremony to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of the Maldives, the ministry said.The minister will be visiting the Maldives at the invitation of Foreign Minister of the Maldives Dunya Maumoon.