Vice President Faisal Naseem has stated the Maldives highly values the commitment of the UK to supporting developmental priorities. He made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony held as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations held to mark 70 years of service by Queen Elizabeth II.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice President Naseem extended warm felicitations to the queen on the special occasion on behalf of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The vice president emphasised that this year also marks another milestone in the Maldives-UK relationship. He noted the special relationship between the two countries and their citizens and recalled the visit by the queen to the Maldives 50 years ago.
Additionally, Vice President Naseem described the collaboration between the two countries as a dynamic relationship spanning many areas, including governance, judicial reform, environmental protection, sustainable development, and defence cooperation, especially noting the growth of engagements between security agencies through increased exchange of expertise, training programmes, and exercises. He said the Maldives highly values the commitment of the UK to supporting its developmental priorities, especially in the area of human resources development. He added that programmes such as the Chevening Scholarships and the Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme continue to contribute immensely to building a skilled and competent workforce that serves at the top of their fields in almost all sectors of the Maldivian economy.
Furthermore, Vice President Naseem highlighted that the UK remains a top export destination for Maldivian fishery products. He concluded his remarks by expressing the hope of waiving the heavy tariffs imposed on the products and for favourable access to the UK market.