A stronger, stable and prosperous Maldives is good for the Indian Ocean Region and Maldivians, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. Mohamed Shainee has said.
Speaking at the annual Raisina Dialogue 2017, he said that President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom's vision is to make the Maldives economically resilient and that it is essential for the stability of the region.
Peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region is necessary for the economic development of the Maldives, he added.
“The Maldives has enacted legislation to introduce Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and studying feasibility of a transshipment port,” the Minister noted, and through foreign investment the Government can take the country to the next level of economic development.
He also said that the expansion of economy has enabled President Yameen to introduce measures to improve social welfare and social security and highlighted that the Maldives is the only country in South Asia to provide free medical care for all its citizens.
The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference of geopolitics and geo-economics.
This year's conference on “The New Normal-Multilateralism with Multi-Polarity” was organised by Observer Research Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs of India.