After undermining status of EPA, Maldives' foreign minister discusses importance of environmental protection with EU Ambassador

Following the renaming of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's administration, turning it into a politically controlled entity, and weakening the regulations regarding Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdulla Khaleel has met with and engaged in discussions regarding the significance of environmental protection with EU Ambassador Maria Carmen Moreno Raymundo.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Khaleel met with the EU Ambassador to the Maldives on Thursday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting was part of the EU Ambassador's ongoing visit to the Maldives.

During the meeting, Minister Khaleel and Ambassador Moreno discussed the relationship between the Maldives and the European Union and areas where ties could be strengthened, according to the foreign ministry.

In a statement released by the foreign ministry, it was revealed that they discussed significant areas where cooperation could be enhanced further, including climate change and environmental protection. In addition to this, they discussed promoting good governance, democracy, and counter-terrorism efforts.

Last week, the main opposition party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) released a statement saying that the government's initiative to change the administrative structure of EPA in a way that undermines its original purpose and allows for extreme political influence in its operations highlights the lack of importance given to environmental protection. The party also expressed concern that while the institution's name has been changed, the systematic importance given to environmental protection has been eliminated.