Malé, 23 December 2021 (TDI): This morning, at the President’s Office in Malé, the Maldivian President, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, joined the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, in delivering a joint press statement. This event constitutes merely one part of the Prime Minister’s itinerary for her official trip to the Maldives.
Bangladeshi leader Hasina recently flew to Malé on a state visit to engage in high-level exchanges with Maldivian leaders. The aim of her trip is to enhance the diplomatic relationship between Maldives and Bangladesh.
REMARKS ON BANGLADESH’S ADVANCEMENTS
During the press conference, both parties acknowledged that traditionally and historically, the two neighboring countries have shared a cordial relationship. Their close geographical proximity means they possess similar values, faith, and traditions.
Thus, these commonalities provide better ground for better communication and understanding. President Solih noted that high-level interactions between Bangladesh and Maldives intensified during the course of the past year. As a result, he remarked, this has added a renewed sense of dynamism to their bilateral ties.
He further went on to praise and congratulate the Prime Minister, the Government, as well as the people of Bangladesh for the meaningful advancements Bangladesh has made in recent times. Particularly, he highlighted the sectors of politics, society, and the economy.
Solih commented on the efforts made by Bangladesh which has led to its current status of Developing Country, accredited by the United Nations (UN). Previously, the nation was on the UN’s list of Least Developed Countries, hence this is an exceptional milestone.
BANGLADESH-MALDIVES COOPERATION
Prime Minister Hasina passed remarks on the official talks with President Solih held earlier that day. She informed that in order to make people-to-people contacts more accessible between both countries, air connectivity has been strengthened. Ideally, this will also lead to greater cooperation in the tourism industry.
During the press statement, Hasina further announced that the Government of Bangladesh has decided to ease the visa process for Maldivian nationals. This is owing to the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic situation has vastly improved, and safe travel is more plausible now. Furthermore, the Bangladeshi Government will also issue long-term student visas for Maldivian students in Bangladesh.
The Maldivian President expressed gratitude to Bangladesh for its important role in assisting the Maldives in multifarious fields. These include the sectors of health, higher education, human resource development, and defense.
Specifically, he described, Bangladesh has donated military vehicles whilst collaborating on the health front. Additionally, it has also made available greater opportunities to Maldivian scholars for higher education, vocational training, and skills development in Bangladesh.
Lastly, both sides agreed to continue cooperating on international fronts, especially the UN in addition to other multilateral forums.
