Ambassador Geela Ali, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Maldives to the European Union, presented her Letters of Credence to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at a formal ceremony held at the Berlaymont building in Brussels on Tuesday evening.
In a brief exchange following the ceremony, Ambassador Geela conveyed greetings from President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and reiterated the Maldives’ commitment to deepening cooperation with the European Union. She expressed the government’s intent to build on the existing relationship, with a focus on advancing shared priorities and strengthening long-standing engagement.
President von der Leyen congratulated Ambassador Geela on her appointment and welcomed the continued positive momentum in relations between the Maldives and the EU.
The Maldives and the European Union have enjoyed a constructive diplomatic relationship, particularly in areas such as environmental sustainability, climate change, governance, and trade. The EU is one of the Maldives’ most significant development partners and a key export destination for Maldivian fish products, especially canned and processed tuna.
However, trade relations have faced growing challenges. Maldivian fish exports to the EU, which once benefited from duty-free access under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), now face tariffs of up to 24 percent following the Maldives’ graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2011. Negotiations to restore or replace preferential access have yet to yield concrete outcomes, and the issue remains a pressing concern for the country’s fishing industry.
In this context, Ambassador Geela’s tenure in Brussels is expected to focus on re-engaging with EU institutions on trade facilitation, while also working to secure support on climate finance and sustainable development — two areas of shared interest. Her appointment comes at a time when the Maldives is also seeking to diversify its diplomatic and economic partnerships within Europe.
