The Parliament has unanimously approved President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s nominations for non-resident ambassadors to Russia and Morocco. The appointments were confirmed in a floor vote on Monday.
Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef, the Maldives’ Ambassador to Türkiye and former Chief of Defence Force, was endorsed as the non-resident Ambassador to Russia with a unanimous vote of 65. Meanwhile, Ahmed Sareer, the Maldives’ Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a seasoned diplomat, was confirmed as the non-resident Ambassador to Morocco with 64 votes in favour.
Abdul Raheem, who previously served as the Vice Chief of Defence Force, was promoted to Chief of Defence Force when President Muizzu assumed office in November 2023. However, he retired from military service upon reaching the age limit of 60 after a 39-year career.
Sareer, a career diplomat, has held several key positions, including serving as the Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations and ambassador to multiple countries.
During Monday’s sitting, the Parliament also reviewed another diplomatic nomination. President Muizzu proposed appointing Dr Mariyam Shabeena, the Maldives’ High Commissioner to Malaysia, as the non-resident Ambassador to the Philippines. Her nomination has been forwarded to the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee for further review.
