President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has accepted diplomatic credentials by Carol Rohsla, confirming her appointment as the first resident UK Ambassador to Maldives.
The ceremony at the President’s Office was followed by a brief courtesy call on the president by the new ambassador, during which she expressed her keenness to build on the fruitful bilateral relations between the two nations, giving special regard to cooperating in such spheres as democratic consolidation, human rights and good governance in Maldives. She further commented on the large scope for expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation on international issues, encompassing trade, environmental preservation, and tourism, among other areas of engagement. The president, in turn, reciprocated her remarks, offering his congratulations to the new representative and expressing his confidence that she will perform ably in fulfilling her new duties.
Previously, Carol Rohsla had been non-resident and based in Colombo, the mandate being fulfilled by the UK High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. The opening of a British Embassy based in Maldives with a resident ambassador in-house represents a significant upgrade in relations between the two countries, and will facilitate greater levels of diplomatic engagement. Further, Maldives is well ahead of schedule relevant to its process of re-joining the Commonwealth of Nations. As such, the administration looks forward to the embassy changing to a high commission and the ambassador’s formal designation changing to high commissioner in the near future.
Ambassador Caron Rohsla also called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Shahid congratulated Ambassador Rohsla on her appointment and becoming the first resident UK Ambassador to Maldives.
Foreign Minister Shahid expressed hope the bilateral ties and cooperation between Maldives and the UK would be further strengthened during her tenure. Both the minister and the ambassador also discussed in detail the progress on existing collaboration, particularly on counter terrorism, aviation security, environment and climate change.
Ambassador Rohsla assured her commitment to working with the Government of Maldives in strengthening the relations between the two countries and reflected on her plans to deepen cooperation on areas of mutual interest.