27 April 2014;Former President of the Maldives, His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said that the future of the Commonwealth lies in the celebration of the diversity that exists within the organisation.
President Gayoom was the Chief Guest, at a special event held in Colombo last night by the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office and President of Sri Lanka Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa to celebrate the cultural diversity of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth is an organization of 53 member states spanning all the continents, and encompasses all the major languages, religions and political ideologies of the world. The Maldives joined the Commonwealth under President Gayoom's leadership in 1982.
In his speech, President Gayoom said that the diversity within the Commonwealth makes the organisation one of the strongest international bodies in the world today. The former President, also highlighted the importance of mutual respect, tolerance, and understanding between the countries of the Commonwealth, in order to foster peace and create an environment conducive for development to happen. The Commonwealth brings together, to the same table, countries of different cultures, development levels and political ideologies, as equals. This, President Gayoom, said, must be celebrated and respected.
ENDS