President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First lady Fazna Ahmed have returned to the Maldives on Sunday night after concluding an official visit to Japan.

He was there to attend the Enthronement Ceremony of Emperor Naruhito of Japan.

A day prior to the enthronement ceremony, the president met with the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe to promote bilateral ties and both countries signed an Exchange of Notes where the Japanese government will provide 500 million yen (over USD four million) to the Maldives for further promotion of the economic and social development of the Maldives.

Likewise, discussions between both the leaders touched on building and strengthening the long-standing ties between the two nations.

The president also visited Odawara City, toured the Shiroyama Athletic Field and visited Japan’s Maritime Disaster Prevention Centre (MDPC) as part of his official trip.

Furthermore, he met with Japanese stakeholders to discuss investment in the Maldives on the sidelines of his official visit.

Japan has been the single largest aid donor to the Maldives, helping the country progress in infrastructural development and virtually all socio-economic spheres: from health to education, to climate-resilience and environmental conservation.

Alongside the Maldives’ own national development efforts, Japanese aid was crucial in bolstering the Maldives’ successful graduation from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to Middle-Income Countries (MICs) status in 2011.

The president also met with the Maldivian community residing in Japan highlighting the vital role they play in boosting the ties between both nations.