President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has returned to the Maldives after concluding his official visit to Rwanda. He was accompanied by First Lady Fazna Ahmed and a high-level delegation during his trip to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali.
CHOGM 2022 was held under the theme of Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming. It was the first Commonwealth leaders’ meeting held since the re-accession of the Maldives to the bloc in 2020. It brought together delegates from 54 nations seeking to strengthen multilateral cooperation, explore new opportunities, and address mutual challenges facing future generations. The meeting was held from June 20–25.
In Kigali, President Solih attended the official opening ceremony and executive sessions of the meeting, which featured discussions on collaborating on an array of topics ranging from trade, health, and climate. On the sidelines, the president met with the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, and the Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S. Jaishankar to strengthen bilateral relations with those countries.
Additionally, President Solih participated in the Leaders’ Retreat of the CHOGM, which was held in two sessions focusing on youth, technology, innovation, and global challenges. President Solih and First Lady Fazna also attended the official welcome reception and state dinner hosted by President of Rwanda Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame in honour of the visiting high-level delegates.
President Solih’s attendance at CHOGM cements his administration’s continued commitment to cooperate with the international community on shared goals such as democracy, peace, and prosperity. It was the first CHOGM to be held after a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commonwealth comprises 54 countries, representing 2.5 million people, of which 25 are small island developing states.