President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has discussed ways to enhance trade cooperation between Maldives and Mauritius, with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.

The Maldivian president met the Mauritius PM on Friday at the Kigali Marriott Hotel in Rwanda, on the sidelines of the ongoing Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022.

The meeting saw discussions touching on the similarities between the Maldives and Mauritius in the tourism sector.

President Solih and the Mauritius PM also discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and areas of mutual interest in international cooperation.

Highlighting that the two countries are part of major platforms such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and the Alliance for the Small Island States (AOSIS), the Maldivian president stated that both Mauritius and Maldives depend on the Indian Ocean for commerce, trade and livelihoods.

Further, he noted that Maldives and Mauritius have the opportunity to learn from each other in the tourism sector, particularly in revitalizing the tourism industry’s role in reversing the economic downfall caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The president also expressed hope to strengthen future commercial and economic ties between the two countries.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed, accompanied by a high-level delegation of government officials, are in Rwanda to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022.

As part of the trip, President Solih is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to strengthen the Maldives’ role in the international community, advance its shared interests, and contribute to resolving global issues on the sidelines of the meeting.

According to the President’s Office, the president’s visit to Rwanda mirrors the incumbent administration’s commitment to engage with the international community, especially with the Commonwealth member states, in promoting democracy, human rights, good governance, multilateralism and world peace.

The incumbent administration seeks to engage in the exchange of expertise and assistance with regard to building inclusive, resilient and environmentally conscious communities through such multilateral forums.

The world leaders will also be engaging in private discussions at the Commonwealth Leaders Retreat, regarding collaboration on the global platform and Commonwealth priorities.

CHOGM 2022 is the first meeting to be held since the island nation rejoined to the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 February 2020.