Ambassador of the United States of America, Her Excellency Alaina Teplitz, USAID Mission Director to Maldives Mr. Reed Aeschliman, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Assalaamu Alaikum and a very good morning.
It gives me great pleasure to participate in this ceremony, marking the official hand-over of 60 critical care ventilators to the Maldives from the US Government in support of our COVID-19 response efforts. This generous donation facilitated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would greatly expand the current ICU capacity of the country and enhance our preparedness to address health emergencies even after the pandemic. It is also a perfect symbol of the growing friendship and cooperation between the Maldives and the US on multiple fronts.
Since this administration took office in November 2018, we have observed the traditionally close, bilateral relationship between the Maldives and the US flourish and take on to newer heights. The US is one of the first countries I visited since assuming office, and it is with reason. This is because we not only believe that the US is a significant partner for our reform efforts, promoting good governance or rule of law, but a close friend, that we rely on at all times; even in dire and challenging circumstances such as now.
The US has proven this to be true even at the start of this pandemic, by contributing generously to our COVID-19 response, while the US itself was grappling with the challenges posed by the pandemic. It has so far contributed over 4 million US dollars to our response and recovery efforts, which includes a grant aid of 2 million US dollars, multiple donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), PCR machine and related equipment, as well as donations through several multilateral agencies such as IAEA and UNICEF. The 60 ventilators that we received today is the most recent donation of critical supplies from the US towards our current efforts to combat the virus.
It is therefore with sincere gratitude and appreciation that I thank Secretary Pompeo and the US government for the continuous unwavering support extended to us as we continue our fight against this common enemy. Such generosity and friendship have indeed increased the capacity of our front-line workers to combat the spread of the virus as well as address long-term goals such as reviving our economy.
Let me also take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to the US for the continuous commitment to support the Maldives in its efforts to consolidate democracy and further socio-economic development, as well as addressing global challenges that impact both our countries and the broader Indo-Pacific.
Finally, I would like to thank you, Ambassador, and your team at the Embassy and at USAID, for your dedication and hard work in assisting the Maldivian people during these unprecedented times; your efforts are indeed extraordinary.
Thank you.