Maldives will continue to strengthen our partnerships and widen our circle of international friends, says President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
He made this remark while speaking at a virtual conference hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to celebrate the fifty-fifth anniversary of independence for Heads of Missions accredited to the Maldives.
In his remarks, the president noted that he had promised during his inaugural address, that a Maldives foreign policy would be defined by robust international engagement.
Ensuring that he will keep that promise, the president noted that together, as equals, all challenges can be met and that we will recover and rebuild from the damage of Covid-19 for which the island nation will need the support from the international community.
We need visitors to come to our resorts, safaris and guesthouses, we have put in place a host of stringent measures to ensure the safety of our visitors. Maldive resorts where each resort occupies its own island, and where outside contact is limited, are amongst the safest anywhere in the world. Similarly, we stand prepared to work with the rest of the world community to stop other crises. Including those produced by the climate emergency.”President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Highlighting that this year, the country’s Independence Day falls during extraordinary times the president stressed that like the rest of the world we have had to endure many hardships due to the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
These challenges threaten to undermine much of the socio-economic progress we have achieved in recent decades and to safeguard our residents from the virus, we were forced to close our borders for months, he said.
Despite our heavy economic reliance on tourism, the social, economic, and psychological toll of the virus has been immense. Early govt interventions guided by the expertise of our health authorities combined with a dedication of our frontline workers, has allowed us to weather the worst of the pandemic. We are now on the path to recovery under the new normal. We have lifted the lockdown and begun gradually easing other temporary restrictive measures. We have reopened our borders for tourism with strong guidelines to reinvigorate the economy while remaining vigilant of the evolving situation. I take great pride in our national health response. The inspiring examples set by our frontline workers and support of the public in particular has given me strengthen during these difficult times.”Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Expressing gratitude for the generosity of the international community, President Solih stated that their support and good will remain crucial to the Maldives national resilience efforts.
Further, he noted that while the Maldives cherishes our independence, the Maldives equally values being part of the wider international community. There is no country that is completely self-reliant and the complex issues of our time can only be addressed through concerted global efforts. “This has been starkly illustrated to all of us during this ongoing pandemic”, said the President.
I look forward to a brighter tomorrow, and to soon welcoming you once again to our beautiful shores.”Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
