President and First Lady visit Maldivian High Commission

President Dr Mohamed Waheed and First Lady Madam Ilham Hussain have this morning visited the Maldivian High Commission in New Delhi.

Speaking to the staff at the High Commission, the President expressed his gratitude for their hard work in making the arrangements of his visit.

The President said that the Maldivian High Commission in New Delhi had been a very crucial institution in strengthening the cooperation between the governments of India and the Maldives. The President also noted that, as the Maldives was evolving politically and economically, the role of the high commission is very important in attaining the assistance and aid needed. Speaking in this regard, the President noted that the mission’s work in Delhi needed further strengthening.

Noting that the Maldivian High Commissioner in Delhi, Abdul Azeez Yoosuf was one of the most experienced in the international affairs of the Maldives, the President expressed his gratitude for applying his vast experiences to further the relations between the two countries, during the recent difficult times.

In his speech, President Waheed revealed that he would try to allocate in the next year’s budget, the construction of a building for the High Commission in Delhi. The President also said that he would try to find a solution for the problems faced at the High Commission due to the lack of staff.

At the meeting, High Commissioner Abdul Azeez Yoosuf said that, since the establishment of a Maldivian High Commission in Delhi, productive steps have been taken in strengthening the relations between the two countries. He also highlighted ways to broaden the role of the High Commission.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla assured that he would facilitate further increasing the role of the mission, and provide any assistance required.

As part of the visit to India, the President and the First Lady visited Rajghat this morning, where they laid a wreath at the Mahathma Gandhi Memorial.

The President then signed the visitors’ book at Rajghat. In his message, the President said “I am blessed to be able to visit the tomb of the great Mahatma Gandhi, who continues to inspire all peace loving people all over the world.”