25 February 2014, Male';Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Ms. Dunya Maumoon has conveyed her felicitations to the Government of H E President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom for his achievements within the first 100days in office. The Minister congratulated the President for his leadership in guiding the Maldives Foreign Service and highlighted the accomplishments in foreign policy thus far, including his bold efforts towards strengthening ties and expanding areas of cooperation with key regional partners. Highlights in this regard include:-
a)President Yameen's maiden State Visit to India in early January, which saw key agreements and decisions being executed between the two countries, including decisions on liberalization of visas for travel to India particularly for medical purposes; facilitation of trade credit to the Maldives in the amount of 25 million dollars;relaxation of restriction on stone aggregates; the favorable disposition of India for the Maldives' request to import petroleum from India; and the supply of other essential commodities.
b)Following that, President Yameen's official visit to Sri Lanka at the end of January, saw another fruitful diplomatic session, leading to theexecution ofthree bilateral MOU's , covering areas of health, youth development, sports, crime combating and police training.
c) Further on, as a continuation of the remarkable progress made in the President's maiden visit to India in January, Minister of External Affairs of India, H. E. Shri Salman Khurshid's official visit to Maldives in February, provided the necessary reaffirmation to the existing commitments,and further initiation of new ones, including the formal handing over of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, formal handing over of a naval Landing Craftand laying down foundation to a new building for the Ministry of Defense to be constructed with Indian assistance.
d)The outstanding role played by the Government of Maldives, in hosting the Thirty-Fifth Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers and its preceding meetings in the Maldives, and successful conclusion thereof. In this regard, the Council of Ministers had reflected upon important regional issues including: poverty, agriculture and food security; climate change and environment; education; connectivity; trade and finance; health; combating terrorism and drug trafficking; maritime security and piracy; energy security; and the social sector. In effect the sessions had provided valuable direction for SAARC policy and processes for the years ahead.
e)The 50 Million Yuan grant to the Maldives from the Government of China, towards youth and infrastructure development;
f) inauguration of a visa facility at the Embassy of China in the Maldives, thereby significantly easing visa processing arrangements for Maldivians wishingto travel to China.
g)The successful conclusion of Vice President H E Mr. Ahmed Jameel Ahmed'svisit to Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
h)The Official visit of the Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine H.E Dr. Riyad Al-Maliki to the Maldives , and the successfulengagement in high level discussions between the two Governments, that led to the reaffirmation of the commitments and close ties between the two states.
i)Compilation and launching of the new Foreign Policy of the Government under the bold tagline "to strive to make Maldivians proud by making the country a resilient nation". The ambitious five year Policy has six underlyinggoals which are; (1)"Enhance the security and national sovereignty of the Maldives through increased bilateral and multilateral engagement "; (2) "Protect the Islamic identity of the Maldives and help to promote the values of Islam internationally"; (3) "Increase the economic resilience of the Maldives" ;(4)"Promote greater regional cooperation in South Asia" (5)"Provide quality consular services for Maldivians";(6)"Promote efficiency and professionalism in the service" .
j)Coinciding with the launching of the new foreign policy, The Foreign Service Institute of Maldives (FOSIM) was inaugurated, as the first professional Foreign Service training institute of the country, with the aim of developing a high caliber professional service cadre for the Government. In this regard, the FOSIM will provide an invaluable platform, to nurture the next generation of professional diplomats to serve the nation, at its frontlines in the international arena.
k)Ratification of landmark legislations, including the Anti -Torture Act,Anti -Human Trafficking Act and the Right to information Act, and establishinginstitutional mechanisms for the proper implementation of the laws.
ENDS.