As Special Envoy of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has inaugurated the “Tech Fair 2019” in Ukulhas of Alif Alif atoll along with the 13th International Conference on Software, Knowledge, Information Management and Applications “SKIMA 2019”.

While the International Convention Center inaugurated in the island earlier on Monday will be the first of its kind outside of capital city Malé and Addu city, FM Shahid had highlighted that the center will play a major role in empowering the island’s community and help its council to provide important services to them,

With this being said, Solih’s government highly prioritizes empowering island communities in such manners.

Further, noting that the country’s foreign perception was notably low prior to the inauguration of the new government in 2018, FM Shahid highlighted that Solih’s administration has "given precedence" in fixing the broken bonds with foreign countries, alongside enhancing Maldives foreign policy.

In addition, FM Shahid stated that neighboring India is one of the major supporters of Maldives economic development objectives.

He added that roughly MVR eight million was allocated to the construction of the center which was funded through Indian grant assistance.

Also at the inaugural ceremony, FM Shahid took a moment to remember India’s former External Affairs Minister, late Sushma Swaraj who he described as a close friend of Maldives and a key architect of the renewed dynamism in the relationship between Maldives and India.