Canada (Commonwealth Union)_The Canadian government has pledged to expand its people-to-people connections with the Maldives. Eric Walsh, the recently appointed High Commissioner of Canada to the Maldives, confirmed this during a formal visit he paid to Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. Walsh, as the newly appointed Canadian High Commissioner to the Maldives, also handed his Letter of Credence to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
During the meeting, FM Shahid extended his best wishes to High Commissioner Walsh on his appointment. The meeting between FM Shahid and HC Walsh centered on the friendly and strong ties between the two nations. In addition, they discussed ways to expand Maldives and Canada’s engagement in areas of mutual interest, such as climate change, democracy and good governance, food security, and world peace and security.
Foreign Secretary Ahmed Latheef, Bilateral Secretary Dr. Hala Hameed, Secretary Economic Cooperation Dr. Hussain Niyaz, Joint Secretary Shiuneen Rasheed, and Desk Officer Saifulla Waleed were present at the meeting. HC Walsh was one of eight ambassadors and high commissioners who handed their Letters of Credence to President Solih. Following the ceremony, the Maldivian premier held a brief meeting with the ambassadors and high commissioners.
Letters of Credence were presented to President Solih by the following newly appointed ambassadors: Ganbold Dambajav, ambassador of Mongolia; Pactet, the ambassador of France; Levan Dzhagaryan, the ambassador of the Russian Federation; Sinia Pavi, the ambassador of the Republic of Serbia; Dimitrios Loannu, the ambassador of the Hellenic Republic; Mateja Vodeb Ghosh, the ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia; Gabriel P. Sinimbo, the high commissioner of Namibia; and Eric Walsh, the high commissioner of the Republic of Canada.
Canada and the Maldives have maintained long-standing diplomatic relations, with each country having an embassy in the other’s capital. However, the depth and frequency of interactions between the two countries are limited due to the significant geographic distance between them and the relatively small size of the Maldives. Overall, while the relationship between Canada and the Maldives may not be particularly extensive, the two countries have shown a willingness to collaborate on issues of mutual concern.
