"Maldives exceptionally grateful for Commonwealth's role in advocating for equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines"

Maldives remains “exceptionally grateful” for the Commonwealth of Nations’ role in advocating for equitable access to Covid-19 vaccinations, says President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

In a message to commemorate Commonwealth Day 2021, the president emphasized that Maldives marked one year since re-joining the Commonwealth of Nation, in February.

In this regard he noted that the island nation is “proud” of all that has been accomplished within the span of a year.

The president stated that Commonwealth has always been a “champion” to member states from bigger countries to smaller island states, which is why small island states depend on the organization’s assistance to achieve goals linked to adaptation to the climate emergency, by building stronger communities.

With this being said, the president noted that Maldives owes gratitude to the role the organization plays in advocating for equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.

Emphasizing on the theme for this year’s Commonwealth Day, “Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming”, Solih said that it reflects the strong relations binding the commonwealth family of 2.4 billion people across the span of 54 countries of six continents.

Solih described the ties to mirror the support and goodwill within the countries throughout the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the extraordinarily difficult circumstances they generate.

The Maldives president expressed hope to advance common interests and contribute to solving common challenges, during the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda, scheduled to begin this ongoing year.

While Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 February 2020, the president noted that this symbolizes his administration’s commitment to engage with the international community and deliver domestic pledges made to citizens, in “good faith”.