President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated the cooperation between Maldives and European Union (EU) has significantly improved in the last one year. The president made the statement at the ceremony held this morning to present the letter of credence of the Ambassador-Designate of EU to Maldives Denis Chaibi.
At the ceremony, the president conveyed good wishes to the President of the European Union and congratulated Ambassador-Designate Chaibi on the commencement of his term in office. During the call, the president noted the strengthening of relations between Maldives and EU in the last year, noting several high-level visits that have taken place. He also highlighted the Maldives-EU policy dialogues have proved instrumental for stronger Maldives-EU cooperation.
During the discussions, President Solih congratulated and commended the decision of the EU Council to go carbon neutral by 2050. The president also addressed the issue of tariffs imposed on Maldivian fish products by the EU and conveyed his hope for a positive way forward in this matter. He also expressed his confidence in further enhancing the relations between EU and Maldives during the tenure of Ambassador-Designate Chaibi.
The Ambassador-Designate concurred with President Solih and expressed the need for further cooperation in areas of mutual concern, including climate change and counter-terrorism, and highlighted EU’s three priority areas; environment and climate change, migration and digitalization. He further expressed his honour to serve as the Ambassador-Designate of the EU to the Maldives at a time when Maldives is undertaking substantial reforms with considerable efforts to uphold the values of democracy, the rule of law and good governance.