Takeuchi Midori, the new Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid have expressed commitment to cooperate towards further consolidating ties.

The new Japanese Ambassador called on the Minister on Tuesday.

During the call, the Maldivian Minister congratulated the ambassador and welcomed her to the Maldives, going on to express appreciation for the continued cooperation and solidarity between the two countries.

FM Shahid expressed his gratitude to the government of Japan for being a close friend and ally, especially for the support extended to the Government of Maldives during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In return, the Japanese Ambassador expressed her commitment to work closely with the people and government of Maldives to continue the efforts to enhance the bilateral relation in areas of mutual interest.

With this being said, the Maldivian Minister and Japanese Ambassador agreed to further cooperate towards the consolidation of ties, as the ongoing year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Maldives and Japan.

The meeting was joined by Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed and Desk Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Shujau.

The new Japanese Ambassador presented her Letters of Credence to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on January 20.

The second female resident ambassador appointed to the Maldives from Japan, Ambassador Midori took over from her predecessor, Keiko Yanai who served as Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives from January 2019 to December 2021.