The Danish Ambassador, the Vice President, Members of the Cabinet, Members of the Parliament and all the others who are present here today;

Good Afternoon.

Of course it is a happy day;

Never thought that we will actually be able to realize this very big project and get it started in such a short time. For that, I would like to thank the Danish government, the Ministers, the Prime Minister and, of course, the Ambassador, who has been very active in trying to facilitate everything to do with the project. And Raj and the Gulhi Falhu Development Project and also the global company that Raj and everyone has been able to put together to get the whole programme going.

This is a very necessary project.

Male’ will not survive without some solution to its housing, some solution to its congestion, some solution to the amount of oil that we are importing everyday, and more importantly, we would like to say and we would like to think that when it works in the Maldives, it will work in India, it will work in China it will work in many other big countries.

We have all thought about becoming carbon neutral. The idea is that the Maldives becoming carbon neutral, certainly, is not going to save the world. We do not consume that much electricity but we like to think that if we can become an example, the rest of the world can have a look at it and people can actually see and understand that it is working. So in very many senses, this whole project is a green project, and at the centre of it is a green park.

The project also involves bridging Gulhi Falhu and Villingili, and hopefully also bridging Villingili to Male’. Therefore, we have one long stretch of road that starts from the tsunami monument in Male’, and ends at Thilafalhu, which is right next to Giraavaru, which is very far away.

That would be a very long road. We are focused and we will be trying to get this road done along with the housing. We are now happy that we have 2500 units in Gulhifalhu. We are also, Ambassador, very happy that we have recently started up with the first university. The University, of course, needs a campus, and we are, therefore, able to build that campus in Gulhi Falhu.

This is our showpiece development, our showpiece community and we are quite confident that we will be able to use the land by, hopefully end of next year or early 2013.

The Ambassador just pointed out one very important concept, in my mind, when we refer to development.

During the last two months, I have visited more than 130 islands and very often I am given a shopping list.

“President; we need a harbor, we need a sewerage system,” and they need a water system and they also like a lot of concrete. I have been consistently trying to tell everyone, and I’ve been telling everyone, that development is not measured in concrete. It is measure by what we know and what we understand.

It’s a phenomenon that happens to a person, not to a country.

If we want to develop, we will have to develop our minds. We will have to broaden our minds. We will have to be able to think outside the box, find solutions and fix problems.


It is no good that the world is ending. But we cannot run away thinking that there is no solution. Of course, there are always solutions, and the more we look into it, the more we study into it, the more solutions we are able to find – solutions for human problems, social problems, engineering issues and whatever that we may come across.

For me this whole project involves and revolves around a very specific understanding between our two countries

I was able to, I was fortunate to have visited Denmark during COP15, and at that time I was also very fortunate to have had a lot of very close interactions and conversations with the Danish Prime Minister.

And therefore during the course of that, we were able to impress upon the Prime Minister and a fair amount of other people, the difficulties that small communities, developing countries have, and the challenges that we face, in trying to develop and trying to establish a proper society.

If all goes wrong in the Maldives, of course it is an issue for the Danes. All of us are interconnected. If things go wrong in Denmark it’s going to have huge effects and impacts on us. We must be able to look after each other. That doesn’t mean that we should be asking for aid and grants. No, we are asking, seeking for trade. This is a very good example of trade collaborations and also a very good example of how a friendly country can actually back a flourishing or a democracy that is in the process of making.

So therefore I thank the Danish Ambassador, the Danish people and its Government on behalf of the people of Maldives and I am sure we will always treasure Copenhagen Avenue.

މިއަދަކީ އަޅުގަނޑުމެންނަށް ގައިމުވެސް އަޅުގަނޑަށް އަދި އަޅުގަނޑަށް ފެންނަ ފެނުމުގައި ރާއްޖޭގެ ހުރިހާ ރައްޔިތުންނަށްވެސް ވަރަށް އުފާވެރި ދުވަހެއް. މިދިޔަ ދެމަހެއްހާ ދުވަހުގެ ތެރޭގައި އަޅުގަނޑު ވަރަށް ސާފުކޮށް، ދަންނަވަމުން ގެންދިޔައިން، އަޅުގަނޑުމެންގެ ހިތްތަކުގައި، އަޅުގަނޑުމެންގެ ތަޞައްވުރުގައި މާލެއަށް ޙައްލެއް އެބައޮތޭ. އެހެންވީމާ، ރާއްޖޭގެ ފަޤީރުކަމާއި، އަޅުގަނޑުމެން ރައްޔިތުން މި އުޅެމުން އަންނަ ދަތިން އަރައިގަތުމަށް އަޅުގަނޑުމެންނަށް ޙައްލެއް އެބައޮތޭ. އަޅުގަނޑުމެން އޭރު ހިސާބު ޖަހާ ތިބީ، އެ ޙައްލު މާލޭގެ ޙައްލުގެ އަގަކީ 600 މިލިއަން ޑޮލަރޭ. އޭރުގައިވެސް ސަރުކާރުން ގެންދިޔައީ، ހުރިހާ ބޭފުޅުންނާ މި އެކިއެކި ފަރާތްތަކާ މި މަޝްވަރާތައް ހިންގަމުން. އަދި ވަކިން ޚާއްޞަކޮށް އަޅުގަނޑު ޝުކުރު ދަންނަވަން ބޭނުން، މި ގުޅިފަޅު ކުންފުނީގެ ޗެއަރމަން އިބްރާޙީމް ނާޞިރަށާއި އަދި މެނެޖިންގ ޑިރެކްޓަރ ޝަހުދީއަށް. އެބޭފުޅުންވެސް ވަރަށްބުރަކޮށް މަސައްކަތް ކޮށްދެއްވައި، އެފަރާތްތަކާ ދައްކަވަން ހުރި ވާހަކަތައް ދައްކަވައި، އަޅުގަނޑުމެންނަށް މިއަދު މިއޮތީ މުޅި މަޝްރޫޢު ފަށައިގަނެވޭ ހިސާބަށް އާދެވިފައި.

މިރާއްޖެއަކު މީގެކުރިއަކު މިވަރު ބޮޑު މަޝްރޫޢެއް ކުރިއަށް ގެންގޮސްފައެއްނުވޭ. މިއީ ވަރަށް ބޮޑު މަޝްރޫޢެއް. އެންމެ ކުޑަކޮށް ކިޔޭއިރުގައިވެސް 600 މިލިއަން ޑޮލަރާ ހަމައަށް އެބަ އަރާ. މިކަމުގެ ފައިސާ އަނބުރާ ދެއްކުން ޙަޤީޤަތުގައި އޮންނާނެ. އެއްވެސް އެއްޗަކީ ހިލޭ ލިބޭ އެއްޗެއް ނޫން. ކޮންމެވެސް ބަޔަކު މި ފައިސާ ދައްކަން ޖެހޭނެ. ޑެންމާކް ސަރުކާރުން އަޅުގަނޑުމެންނަށް ގެރެންޓީ ކޮށްދެއްވާ ކަންކަން. އެހެންވީމާ، ވަގުތުން ވަގުތަށް ދިވެހި ސަރުކާރަށް ފައިސާ ދައްކާކަށް ނުމެޖެހޭނެ. އެހެންނަމަވެސް، ކުންފުނިތަކަށް، އެބޭފުޅުން ޢިމާރާތް ކުރައްވާ ގެތައް ވިކެން ޖެހޭނެ. ސަރުކާރުން އެއްބަސްވެފައިވާނީ ނުވިކޭ ގެ ސަރުކާރަށް ގަތުމަށް. އެހެންވީމާ، އެއީ ސަރުކާރުން ދޭ ގެރެންޓީއަކީ. ޙަޤީޤަތުގައި މުޅި ޕްރޮޖެކްޓަށް އަގު ދައްކަންވެގެން ތައްޔާރުވެގެން މި ތިބީ ދިވެހިން. ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުން.

އަޅުގަނޑު އަބަދުވެސް ފާހަގަކުރަން، އަޅުގަނޑުގެ އެންމެ ލޯ ލާރިއެއްވެސް ނޯންނާނެ. ހައްތަހާވެސް ހުރިހާ ފައިސާއަކީ، އަޅުގަނޑުމެން ރައްޔިތުން، ދިވެހިންގެ ފައިސާ. އަޅުގަނޑުމެންނަށް އަމާނާތްތެރިކަމާއެކީގައި، އެ ފައިސާ ޚަރަދުކުރުމާއި ގެންގުޅުމާއި ބެލެހެއްޓުން، ރައްޔިތުން ހަވާލުކޮށްފައިވަނީ. އަޅުގަނޑު ޔަޤީންކޮށް އަރުވަން، ރައްޔިތުންގެ ފައިސާއިން އަޅުގަނޑުމެން ޚަރަދު ކުރަމުން ގެންދާނީ، އަމާނާތްތެރިކަމާއި އަދި އެއަށް ބެލުމާއި، އިސްރާފު ކުރުމެއްނެތި، އަޅުގަނޑުމެންނަށް ސީދާ އެއިރަކަށް އެންމެ ބޭނުންވާ ކަންކަމަށް. އަޅުގަނޑަކަށް ގިނަ ޚަރަދުތަކެއްކޮށް، ދިވެހިންގެ ޚަޒާނާއަށް ނިކަމެތިކަން ގެނައުމަކީ، އެއްވެސް ހާލެއްގައި މި ސަރުކާރުގެ ކުޑަވެސް ބޭނުމެއްނޫން.

އަޅުގަނޑުމެން އިރާދަކުރެއްވިއްޔާ ހަމަ ކެނޑިނޭޅި މަސައްކަތް ކުރަމުން ގެންދާނީ، މި މަޝްރޫޢާއި އަދި މި ބާވަތުގެ އެހެން މަޝްރޫޢުތައް ކާމިޔާބީއާ ހަމައަށް ގެނައުމަށް.

And again just before I finish, I would like to thank the International Consortiums, all who have come together to make this project a success and I would also like to thank the Danish Prime Minister, the Danish Ministers who are very friendly who came to the Maldives had a very good look at how things were moving here. And then of course the Ambassador who has been the engine behind all this.

And again thank you very much and thank you.