The Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Mariana Pacheco Montes, on Monday morning, presented her letter of credence to H.E. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
At the meeting held afterwards, President Solih congratulated the Ambassador on her new appointment and welcomed her to the Maldives. During the meeting, the President and the Ambassador spoke on a wide range of topics, including the strengthening of bilateral relations, trade relations, human resources, and capacity development.
Speaking with the Ambassador, President Solih expressed that developmental efforts are at the foremost of the administration’s priorities. He said that the Maldives is interested in welcoming foreign investments to the country in a wide scope of areas including the higher education sector and manufacturing. The President spoke at length about tourism and how the Maldives had reopened its borders after the pandemic to welcome guests into the country.
Ambassador Pacheco Montes recalled a speech from President Solih during his recent overseas visit to Glasgow, United Kingdom, to attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), highlighting that Colombia and the Maldives share a common interest on the environmental protection front. She added that Colombia shares a large portion of the Amazon rainforest and that the protection of the environment is key not only for the tourism sector but for the survival of Colombia as a nation.
The President noted that environmental protection and climate change are also critical issues for the Maldives. They spoke of the existential threats posed by rising sea levels and how small lifestyle changes could go a long way, including opting for renewable energy and the ban of single-use plastics.
President Solih and the ambassador concluded their meeting, hoping for improved ties between the two nations.
