Maldivian flag hoisted at Commonwealth Headquarters

The Maldivian flag has been hoisted at the Commonwealth Headquarters.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid, officially hoisted the Maldivian flag in the headquarters of the Commonwealth at Marlborough House during a ceremony held on Friday to commemorate the Maldives returning to the Commonwealth.

The ceremony was attended by Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, High Commissioners and other representatives across the Commonwealth.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Shahid expressed his appreciation to the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Member States for supporting the Maldives in the country's journey back to the organization.

Reiterating Maldives' commitment to the Commonwealth Charter and shared values such as democratic norms, human rights, and good governance, FM Shahid expressed the country's eagerness to reconnect within the Commonwealth.

The Maldives was welcomed back into the organization by Secretary-General Scotland, who stated that the Commonwealth secretariat "stands ready to engage with the Maldives"

The ceremony was also attended by People’s Majlis’ majority leader, Central-Henveiru constituency MP Ali Azim, who is accompanying the foreign minister on the trip, High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to the United Kingdom, Dr. Farahanaz Faizal, Secretary, Foreign Relations at The President’s Office, Sabra Ibrahim Noordeen and staff of the High Commission of the Maldives in the United Kingdom.

While Maldives’ re-admittance into the Commonwealth was confirmed on February 1st, with Secretary-General Patricia Scotland informing President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih via telephone, the parliament approved to join the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on Tuesday.

Rejoining the Commonwealth is one of the key pledges of President Solih and the cabinet passed to rejoin the organization, shortly after assuming office in November 2018.

Solih’s predecessor, jailed former President Abdulla Yameen, made the decision for the Maldives to leave the Commonwealth in October 2016 amid mounting pressure from the group over corruption and deteriorating human rights.

The move came after a warning by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, to suspend the Maldives “if the political crisis triggered by the jailing of opposition leaders is not resolved.”

Yameen’s government had accused the Commonwealth of interfering in domestic affairs and “unfair and unjust” treatment.

The Maldives first became a member of the Commonwealth on 9th July 1982.