Remarks by President Mohamed Nasheed at the Ceremony to Sign the Agreement, “Education Capacity Building to Promote Technology Adaptation in the Republic of Maldives” Between the Governments of the Maldives and India, and Donate Sporting Equipments and Pharmaceuticals to the Maldives by the Government of India

The High Commissioner, Cabinet Ministers, distinguished guests and all present here this morning.

Indeed it is a great pleasure today, to say thank you for the very valuable two sets of equipments and also the MoU, also the agreement, the technical, the IT communication agreement between the government of Maldives and the Indian government on assisting the schools in the islands.

Recently, the health sector, has started working along with Tele-medicine so that technology can be more readily used in connecting one community and another. Of course, connecting the schools is going to help immensely to the students and the achievements they will be making in the schools.

During the past two three weeks, I have travelled the islands very extensively.

I just simply want to thank the High Commissioner and the Indian government for both the sports equipment, the pharmaceuticals and as well as the IT agreement which would allow us to connect the rural schools in the islands.

There is a very big need for sports equipment in the islands. Every single island is always asking for their football pitch, their volleyball court and many other means for them to have recreation. Especially, when we have a policy of giving a more rounded education to the students, to the young people of this country, it is so very important for us to have all this equipment.

It is going a long way, High Commissioner. I have seen this personally. I have gone to the islands and I have seen them using the equipment, they are extremely happy to have received them.

I have mentioned in every single island that this was a donation from the Indian Government and they have personally asked me to thank the Indian Government and therefore, I am here on behalf, actually, of the islanders who are using them.

With regard to the pharmaceuticals, of course, there is again a huge need for them, especially in smaller islands, in rural communities where there is a very big shortage of medicine and we will b able to make very good use of the assistance that you are, this time, providing.

It is a fair amount of money, a fair amount of money has gone into the exchanges this time. I understand that the sports equipment alone is going to cost 5 million dollars, and the pharmaceuticals is probably again going to cost somewhere around 200,000 dollars.

The IT agreement is going to cost somewhere around 7 million dollars. So we are extremely grateful and thankful to the Indian government for the assistance they have made.

This month, in fact tomorrow, we will be celebrating the Indian Independence day. I am very saddened that I will not be able to attend this ceremony because I will be in Kulhudhuhfushi, much nearer to India than Male’. But I am sure that there will be our officials who will grace the ceremony and we will, of course, have a very fruitful Indian Independence day.

I’d like to thank the Indian Government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Human Resources, Youth and Sports, Minister of Health and Family, Minister of Education and the Maldivian High Commissioner in India, all of whom have worked very hard in trying to make this project a reality.

Again, Thank You Very Much.

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