Malé, 2 December 2021 (TDI): On 30 November, a diplomatic exchange took place between Woonjin Jeong, Ambassador of South Korea to the Maldives, and Ahmed Khaleel, Maldivian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The meeting occurred at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Malé, at the invitation of State Minister Khaleel.
PARTICIPANTS OF MEETING
So Yeon Lim and Haesung Jung, Second and Third Secretary at the Embassy of South Korea in Colombo, respectively joined Ambassador Jeong. Charya Samidhika Gamalath, Research, and Public Relations Officer also accompanied this group.
Meanwhile, Javed Faisal, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompanied State Minister Khaleel. Additionally, Fathmath Naeema, Executive Director, and Desk Officer, Ibrahim Haail were also present.
CONTENTS OF MEETING
Both parties congratulated each other on their 54th Anniversary of established diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Maldives. In addition, they highlighted the upcoming celebrations to be carried out with regards to this milestone.
During the meeting, both Minister Khaleel and Ambassador Jeong brought up how bilateral ties between the two countries could be strengthened. They focused on various dimensions, such as economy, education, politics, and analyzed the current state of cooperation in these areas. Then, they elaborated on the possible actions to improve these areas.
In particular, State Minister Khaleel expressed a need for the Maldives and South Korea to increase the frequency of their bilateral dialogue. He explained that an effective way to go about this would be to engage both countries’ Ministries of Foreign Affairs. High-level discourse and interaction would be essential to continue lifting relations.
Moreover, on behalf of the Maldivian Government, Khaleel expressed appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Korea for its generous and continued support in the fight against Covid-19.
Both sides further reiterated their promise to deliver continued cooperation to each other. Specifically, they highlighted the sectors of tourism, education, and economic development in which to continue collaborating. Finally, they also agreed to contribute to advancing common interests of mutual concern, both bilaterally and internationally.
