Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Abdulla Shahid has been conferred the National Order of Merit of the Gabonese Republic.

The National Order of Merit, instituted in 1971, is the state order of the Gabonese Republic and is conferred in five grades to both Gabonese and foreign nationals.

Gabon’s National Order of Merit was presented to the Maldivian foreign minister during a ceremony held at the national capital of Gabon, Libreville.

Taking to Twitter following the ceremony, PGA Shahid revealed that he had been humbled and honored to received Gabon’s National Order of Merit.

PGA Shahid began his official visit to Gabon on August 14.

Foreign Minister of Gabon, Michael Moussa-Adamo and UN Resident Coordinator in Gabon, Savina Ammassari received the UNGA President at Libreville's airport.

During his visit in Gabon which comes at a time the country celebrates its Independence Day on Wednesday, Shahid highlighted the importance of environmental conservation in the Congo Basin.

The PGA called on the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba as part of the visit, where he conveyed sincere appreciation for Gabon's consistent support to multilateralism.

PGA Shahid wished the people and government of Gabon well, as the country prepares to celebrate its National Day.

As part of the visit, the Maldivian minister also visited Loango Park with his Gabonese counterpart Michael Moussa-Adamo as well as the Minister of Forests, Oceans, Environment and Climate Change, Gabonese Republic Prof. Lee White CBE.

Shahid was impressed by the country’s forest and wildlife conservation, and applauded the Gabonese government’s aim to create 187 million carbon credits.

Highlighting that Gabon is the second-most forested nation and the carbon sink of Africa with 88 percent of trees, PGA Shahid urged the people to work to preserve it.

He also visited Gabon’s Space Studies and Observation Agency whose main mission is to acquire, process and analyze optical and radar satellite data from 24 African countries for the sustainable development and management of natural resources, land use as well as research and innovation.

Further, the visit also saw PGA Shahid visiting the Gabon SEZ in Nkok, the country’s first carbon-neutral certified industrial zone.

PGA Shahid highlighted that Gabon SEZ has made sustainability, traceability and certification the hallmark of all nature-based products manufactured at the facility.

The Maldivian minister planted a tree at the end of his visit to the site .