The Minister of External Affairs of India Dr S. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has arrived on an official visit to Maldives this afternoon.

The External Affairs Minister was received at Velana International Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Abdulla Shahid, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel, Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, and High Commissioner of Maldives to India Dr Hussain Niyaaz.

During this visit, the Minister of External Affairs will call on the President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, and hold meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minster of Defense. A joint meeting will be held with the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Economic Development, and the Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

During this visit, Minister of External Affairs of India will inaugurate some projects undertaken with Indian grant assistance, in addition to witnessing the exchange of several Agreements and MoUs between two countries. The Minister of External Affairs is visiting the Maldives on the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. This is his second visit to the Maldives in his capacity as the Minister of External Affairs of India. His first visit was to attend the 5th Indian Ocean Conference in September 2019.

ENDS

The newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives, His Excellency Omar Abdul Razzak has presented his Letter of Credence to the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena at a ceremony held this afternoon at the President’s House.

During the brief meeting after the presentation of Credentials, President Maithripala Sirisena welcomed Ambassador Razzak to Sri Lanka and expressed his sincere hope to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

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A delegation of Commonwealth Secretariat staff on an assessment mission to the Maldives paid a courtesy call on His Excellency President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih this morning at the President’s Office. 

During the meeting, President Solih welcomed the delegation to the Maldives and extended deep appreciation for the support provided to the Maldives over the years.

Speaking during the meeting, the President noted that re-joining the Commonwealth is one of the key pledges of the government. He also noted that the Maldives stands ready to abide by the charter of the Commonwealth. He relayed that the country is looking forward to re-joining the Commonwealth.

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The Commonwealth Secretariat Staff Team on an assessment mission to the Maldives paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs today.

At the meeting which was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Shahid expressed the political will of the Government of Maldives in becoming a Member State of the Commonwealth at the earliest possible opportunity, and committed the Maldives in pursuing the accession process in full cooperation with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

He mentioned that the Maldives had a lot to gain from the Commonwealth and its Member States, in the country’s journey to further strengthen and bolster the country’s institutional capacity especially in the judicial sector. He also mentioned that the Maldives had a lot to contribute as well, through its experience in democratic consolidation, and its leadership in the areas of climate change and human rights.

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Ambassador-designate of Maldives to Germany, His Excellency, Mr. Ahmed Latheef paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency, Vice President Faisal Naseem, this morning at the President’s Office.

The Vice President congratulated the Ambassador-designate on his posting and expressed his eagerness to work closely with the Ambassador to further solidify the friendly ties between Maldives and Germany.  

The Vice President emphasized Education and Health as two priorities areas, for which we should request expertise from Germany. He further stated the importance of promoting Tourism through positive advertising and maintaining good trade relations with Germany. Moreover, the Vice President requested the Ambassador to facilitate efficient consular services to Maldivians living in Germany, with special regard for Maldivian students. 

The Ambassador-designate reciprocated the Vice President’s sentiments regarding strengthening of bilateral ties, and gave assurance that during his ambassadorial tenure he will strive to fulfill the policies of President Solih’s Administration. 

Concluding the call, Ambassador-designate and the Vice President discussed training opportunities for youths.