The Maldives has called for enhanced cooperation of Archipelagic Island States (AIS) to overcome common challenges. The statement was made by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel at the 1st High-level Meeting of the AIS Forum. The forum, under the theme Fostering Collaboration. Enabling Innovation. For Our Ocean, and Our Future, is being held in Bali, Indonesia.
During his statement, State Minister Khaleel stated that the Maldives supports the elevation of the AIS Forum to a charter-based organisation. He characterised the step as one that would enhance collaboration towards advancing shared priorities. He further called for more collaboration within the framework of the AIS Forum to tackle shared threats for all archipelagic and island states including climate change and environmental and ocean degradation.
The AIS Forum was established in 2018 and serves as a platform that brings together 51 archipelagic and island states to deliberate and discuss common challenges.