His Excellency President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has accepted diplomatic credentials by Her Excellency Caron Röhsler, confirming her appointment as the first resident Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Republic of Maldives, at a special ceremony held this morning at the President’s Office.
The ceremony was followed by a brief courtesy call on the President by the new Ambassador, during which she expressed her keenness to build on the fruitful bilateral relations between the two nations, giving special regard to cooperating in such spheres as democratic consolidation, human rights and good governance in the Maldives. She further commented on the large scope for expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation on international issues, encompassing trade, environmental preservation, and tourism, among other areas of engagement. The President, in turn, reciprocated her remarks, offering his congratulations to the new representative and expressing his confidence that she will perform ably in fulfilling her new duties.
Previously, the UK Ambassador to the Maldives had been non-resident and based in Colombo, the mandate being fulfilled by the UK High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. The opening of a British Embassy based in the Maldives with a resident Ambassador in-house represents a significant upgrade in relations between the two countries, and will facilitate greater levels of diplomatic engagement. Further, the Maldives is well ahead of schedule relevant to its process of rejoining the Commonwealth of Nations. As such, President Solih’s Government looks forward to the Embassy changing to a High Commission and the Ambassador’s formal designation changing to High Commissioner in the near future.
