Minister for Foreign Affairs held discussions with Lord Ahmad of Wimdbledon, the Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth at the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Thursday afternoon.

The meeting was held virtually via online means in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The two ministers discussed avenues for bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the Maldives and the United Kingdom in key areas of on-going development focus, such as counter-terrorism efforts, trade and investment, and defense.

In addition to this, Foreign Minister Shahid and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed the United Kingdom's upcoming term as president at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November this year. Minister Shahid reaffirmed the Maldives' commitment to collaborating closely with the UK in the months leading up to COP26.

Further, Minister Shahid and Lord Ahmad exchanged views on the state of the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, touching down on efforts being made by both the United Kingdom and the Maldives to combat the infection.

The meeting concluded with Foreign Minister Shahid and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon expressing confidence in continued cooperation and support between the Maldives and the United Kingdom in the years to come.