Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed Maldives could rejoin Commonwealth by early February.
The ministry had initially stated Maldives is expected to rejoin Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2020. However, during the meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland in the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India earlier this month, the secretary general expressed hope that Maldives will be granted membership by the end of the first week of February.
Upon rejoining Commonwealth, all Maldivian embassies in member countries of the organisation will be converted to high commissions. Foreign ministry says preparations to change embassies to high commissions are already ongoing.
Maldives left Commonwealth on October 13, 2016 in the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom. The bid to rejoin Commonwealth was submitted in December 2018, after President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih assumed office. Rejoining Commonwealth was one of the electoral pledges of the current administration.