The Third Joint Meeting Mechanism to deal with the issue of safety of Chinese tourists was held on Thursday.

The meeting was held at the Sheraton Full Moon Resort, with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Lizhong in attendance. Tourism MInister Ali Waheed was also in attendance during the opening of the forum.

The Joint Meeting, held to discuss the safety of Chinese tourists in the Maldives, is the continuation of the Memorandum of Understanding agreed upon during the visit President Xi Jinping to the Maldives in September 2014.

During his speech at the opening ceremony, Minister Shahid highlighted the current administration's dedication to developing the Maldivian tourism Industry. While noting the effectiveness of the mechanism, he further highlighted the significance of the mechanism as a platform to identify and find resolutions regarding the safety of Chinese tourists in the Maldives,

Furthermore, he stated that the bilateral relationship between Maldives and China is bolstered by the straightforward communication between the two countries.

Minister Ali Waheed also spoke during the ceremony and described future initiatives as well as the strategic plan for the tourism industry. He further gave assurance of the Maldives' commitment to providing a safe and sound environment for tourists visiting the Maldives.

In response, the Chinese Ambassador noted the significance of the mechanism in fortifying the joint efforts by both countries on the matter and extended his thanks to the Maldivian Government for their steadfastness in ensuring a safe environment for the Chinese tourists in the Maldives.

The Agreed Minutes of the Meeting was signed by Ambassador Lizhong and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of China in the Maldives, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Health, Department of Immigration, Maldives Customs Service, Maldives Police Service, MNDF, Maldives Airports Company Ltd., MATI, and key stakeholders were also in attendance at the joint meeting.