Maldives president extends Independence Day greetings to Sri Lanka
Thursday marks 73 years since neighboring allies Sri Lanka achieved independence from British colonizers
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has extended greetings to Sri Lanka on behalf of Maldives as the neighboring nation celebrates 73 years of independence from British colonial rule.
President Solih delivered Independence Day well-wishes to the Sri Lankan people on behalf of Maldives in a tweet on Thursday, in addition to extending his greetings of the occasion to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapakse and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse.
President Solih expressed hopes that the Maldives' close ally and neighbor Sri Lanka would continue to prosper, and was optimistic that the close bonds between the two countries would grow and prosper in the future.
In addition to President Solih, Speaker of Parliament and Former President Mohamed Nasheed also extended greetings of their 73rd Independence Day to the Maldives' close "cousin" Sri Lanka, stating that the neighbouring nation was one of the few South Asian countries that managed independence from British colonizers which went on to have regular and free elections that facilitated the peaceful transfer of power based on democratic principles.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid relayed the sincere regards to his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena and the people of Sri Lanka, stating that the occasion of their 73rd Independence Day was a joyous one, and reaffirming the Maldives' commitment to fostering the strong, centuries-old bonds between the two countries.
Neighboring Sri Lanka is an important international partner of the Maldives, with the two countries having shared the experience of being under British colonial rule, in addition to a long history of close trade and travel, marked by many similarities apparent in the cultures of both island nations. Tens of thousands of Maldivians live in Sri Lanka, making it the largest community of Maldivians living together outside of their native country.
President Solih was the guest of honour at Sri Lanka's 71st Independence Day celebrations back in 2019.
