Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid has stated that the Maldivian foreign sector was impoverished, isolated, and drastically marginalized when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took office.

Minister Shahid made these remarks while speaking at a ceremony held to confer the most distinguished Foreign Service medal to two long-serving individuals at the President’s Office on Monday morning.

Taking the podium during the ceremony, Minister Shahid stated that the previous governments' misguided policies were to blame for the impoverished, isolated, and drastically marginalized foreign sector of the Maldives.

He continued by saying that under those circumstances, President Solih started to operate the Maldivian foreign sector under an open foreign policy. Minister Shahid noted that this resulted in the Maldives establishing diplomatic ties with 185 of the 192 nations.

He stated that Maldivians now enjoy the freedom to visit 108 countries without a visa.

Minister Shahid stated that the Maldivian foreign sector has made impressive progress.

Expressing his gratitude to President Solih for the renewed recognition of the foreign sector's contributions Shahid stated that the government's choice to take this action demonstrates how important it is to keep people in the foreign service.