26 April 2013, London;The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) today welcomed the return of Maldives as a fully participating member of the Group. Today's meeting, held at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, was the first scheduled meeting to take place since CMAG decided to permit Maldives' return to the Group at its meeting in September 2012.
Resuming Maldives' place on CMAG, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdul Samad joined Commonwealth Secretary-General Mr Kamalesh Sharma, and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago and Vanuatu to discuss the pressing issues on the CMAG agenda.
Foreign Minister Samad actively contributed to CMAG discussions and thanked the Commonwealth Secretary General and CMAG Foreign Ministers for their constructive engagement with Maldives last year.
Speaking earlier this week, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon said that Maldives' invitation to return to CMAG reflected the Commonwealth's recognition of the cooperation of President Dr Mohamed Waheed's government in strengthening democracy in the Maldives.
CMAG is comprised of the foreign ministers of eight Commonwealth countries and deals with serious and persistent violations of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values. CMAG's main task is to assess infringements and recommend measures to restore democracy and constitutional rule.
External Link:
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group Concluding Statement, London, 26 April 2013
ENDS