The Government of Maldives has appealed to ensure safety and protection of Maldivians residing in Sri Lanka and travelling to the country.
The appeal was made at a call made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana. During the call, the two ministers spoke on the comments made by Commander of Sri Lankan Army in an interview to an Indian news channel and the current situation of Sri Lanka. Minister Shahid urged to take measures to ensure protection of Maldivians in Sri Lanka and discussed any possible effects in relevance to the comments made by the Sri Lankan commander.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Marapana assured to work to ensure a safe environment for Maldivians in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan minister expressed gratitude towards President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for sending Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel to Sri Lanka as a special envoy of president following the attacks on April 21.
Furthermore, Sri Lankan minister thanked the Maldivian minister for visiting Sri Lanka for being the first senior member from a country to visit Sri Lanka after the attacks.
On conclusion, Minister Shahid reiterated commitment from Maldives in ensuring peace and stability in Indian Ocean region and assured to cooperate with regional countries to combat terrorism.