Male, Maldives (CU)_ According to Abdulla Shahid, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Maldives and the United States have developed a mutually beneficial and strategic collaboration over the fifty years of bilateral cooperation between the two nations. On the occasion of the 246th Independence Day of America, the Minister conveyed his message of congratulations to the United States’s Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.
As an honorable representative of the Government and the people of the Maldives, Minister Shahid expressed heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the Secretary of State, the United States Government, and the American citizens. In his speech, the Minister emphasized that the collaboration between the two nations has been strengthened in a number of areas such as security, climate change, governance, consolidation of democracy, commerce, and investment.
The minister highlighted the United States’ constant and substantial aid to the Maldives, particularly during the difficult periods such as the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Shahid noted that the USA has so far donated more than $5.4 million in aid, which has greatly increased the Maldives’ capacity to battle the pandemic as well as improved the overall economic recovery initiatives. He attributed this to the generosity of the American citizens and the flourishing bilateral relations between the two nations.
The minister expressed hope for further strengthening the ties between the two nations by opening a Maldives diplomatic mission in Washington in the near future. Minister Shahid closed his statement by extending his highest regard and best wishes for the Secretary of State’s health and well-being, as well as for the continued advancement of the United States of America’s citizens.
