15th July 2011, Male: The Foreign Minister of the Maldives, Honourable Ahmed Naseem met with US Senator John MacCain, the former US Presidential candidate of the Republican Party.
In the meeting held in Capitol Hill, the Foreign Minister thanked Senator McCain for his support for the Maldives democracy movement. The Minister further briefed Senator McCain on the current social and political situation in the Maldives. The Minister also highlighted the importance of consolidating democratic government in the Maldives and thanked the US government for their continued support in this endeavour.
Senator McCain also congratulated the Maldives people for their smooth transition to democracy and the important roles the country now plays in major global forums, such as in the UN Human Rights Council. Senator MacCain further inquired about the current situation in neighbouring Sri Lanka and requested the Minister to work with the US administration to seek a lasting solution to the issues.
The two leaders also discussed the importance of promoting democracy in the region and ways to combat terrorism.
The Minister also invited Senator McCain to the Maldives to witness the transformation that the country is now going through. Senator McCain has visited the Maldives earlier on holidays and commended the excellent quality of services and expressed his deep appreciation of the natural beauty of the Maldives.
In conclusion, the two leaders agreed to work together on key issues of mutual interest such as security, human rights and climate change.
The meeting was attended by other members of the Minister's official delegation, who include, Special Envoy for Science & Technology Ahmed Moosa, Ambassador Abdul Ghafoor, Deputy Permanent Representative to United Nations Thilmeeza Hussain, Businessmen Abdulla Jabir, Abdulla Mohamed and Mohamed Janah.
End.