Three new foreign diplomats have presented their credentials to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih today.
Ambassador of Indonesia
Firstly, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Dewi Gustina Tobing presented her credentials to the President.
After congratulating the Ambassador on her new appointment, President Solih spoke with her about the decades-long history of the relationship between the two countries. President Solih inquired with the Ambassador about the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and went on to discuss ways to strengthen trade ties, developmental cooperation, and partnership on the regional and international front.
Speaking with the President, the Ambassador highlighted that our religion was a strong bridge between the two peoples and talked about the approximately 2,000 Indonesians working in the Maldives’ tourism and other economic sectors. The President and the Ambassador also spoke about increasing tourism between the two countries, with the President inquiring with the Ambassador about easing visa facilitation for Maldivian travellers.
High Commissioner of South Africa
H.E. Sandile Edwin Schalk, the new Non-Resident High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa to the Republic of Maldives, also presented his letter of credence to President Solih today.
Speaking with the High Commissioner, President Solih stated that the Maldives is committed to strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries. The President stated that the Maldives is looking forward to establishing a Maldives High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa. He said that it would be the first Maldivian High Commission established on the continent of Africa and that it would help demonstrate the closeness between the two nations, also expressing hope that the opening of the office would extend the outreach of the Maldives.
The President and the High Commissioner spoke further on improving tourism, infrastructure development, and enhancing collaboration in the international fora. The Maldives established diplomatic relations with South Africa on July 27, 1994.
Non-resident Ambassador of Egypt
Lastly, H.E. Maged Mosleh, the new non-resident Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Maldives presented his letter of credence to the President.
During the meeting, the President also expressed his gratitude to the Egyptian government for its continuous support in the academic and human resource development fields and highlighted the crucial role played by Al-Azhar University in increasing higher education opportunities for Maldivian students. The President and the Ambassador also discussed increasing scholarship opportunities for Maldivian students in various fields.
Speaking with President Solih, the Egyptian Ambassador noted the close cooperation between the two countries and highlighted that many Egyptians were working in the Maldives as doctors and nurses. The President and Ambassador continued to discuss bilateral interests in regional and international affairs and spoke about exploring avenues of future collaboration, especially in health, energy, and information technology. The Maldives and Egypt established diplomatic relations in 1969.
