President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid remains dedicated to promote the priorities of Maldives, on the global stage during his presidency.

Upon the invitation of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, PGA Shahid arrived in the Maldives on Wednesday morning.

He was received at the Velana International Airport (VIA) by Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Chief of Staff at the President’s Office Ali Zahir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel and Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed.

Upon arrival, the UNGA President paid a courtesy call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the President’s Office, where he assured the president that he remains committed to progress the United Nations under the “Presidency of Hope” and “Five Rays of Hope”, inspired by the Maldives.

He went on to note that he will remain dedicated to promote the priorities of the Maldives, on the global stage during his UNGA tenure.

During the meeting, President Solih expressed hope that the UN will flourish under Shahid’s presidency, and encouraged him to make full use of this opportunity to further enhance the foreign interests of the Maldivian government.

Both leaders engaged in discussions revolving around important global and local issues, including the safeguarding of human rights, climate change and advocacy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the international arena.

Shedding light on the country’s climate goals, President Solih revealed that technology is the way forward to beat challenges that have been made worse by climate change, while the country has policies in place.

PGA Shahid’s assistance has been sought in this endeavor, with President Solih stressing on the importance of multilateral support to build sustainable climate resilience and achieve climate goals.

Shahid revealed that the success of the Maldives’ foreign policy and his successful bid for the UNGA presidency were historic moments of pride for the country, going on to express gratitude to the Maldivian president, whose foreign policy deserves all the credits for the success story.

During the visit, the UNGA President also signed the Visitor’s Book at the President’s Office.