Vice President Faisal Naseem has returned from his official visit to New York, United States of America.

The vice president touched down at Velana International Airport on Thursday morning.

He was accompanied by his spouse, Aishath Shamsadha and a high-level delegation during the visit, to attend the high-level thematic debate convened by the United Nations President of the General Assembly (UNPGA) on the theme "Putting sustainable and resilient tourism at the heart of an inclusive recovery."

In his remarks at the high-level debate, the Maldivian vice president stated that the astute leadership of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih coupled with the steadfast support of the private sector had paved the road to recovery for the Maldives’ tourism sector after having been on a downward spiral, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The debate was convened by PGA Abdulla Shahid in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The visit also saw VP Naseem paying a courtesy call on PGA Shahid and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

During the meeting with the UN SG that took place at the UN Headquarters in NYC, SG Guterres shed light on the “outstanding” role of PGA Shahid.

Reciprocating this sentiment, the Maldivian Vice President expressed his admiration as well for PGA Shahid and went on to praise his work.

VP Naseem arrived in NYC on the official visit on May 3 and was received at John F. Kennedy International Airport by PGA Shahid.