President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that Sri Lanka has always given ‘invaluable’ help and support for Maldives' fight for democracy.

Speaking at an event at the Maldives embassy in Colombo on Sunday, President Solih said that Sri Lanka plays an important role in upholding democracy in Maldives.

President Solih had been part of the opposition in the earlier government and had worked to establish a multi-party democracy in Maldives in the early 2000s. The President said that Sri Lanka always supported them during their fight for democracy.

Highlighting the close relations between both countries, President Solih said that Maldives had established its first foreign office in Sri Lanka in 1906 and that Sri Lanka had been the most helpful during Maldives' fight for independence, adding that Maldives established diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka on the same day that it received independence.

President Solih also said that Maldivians living in Sri Lanka should always embody Maldivian values of discipline and decency in their conduct and to strive to ensure that Sri Lankans retain their positive view of Maldivians.