A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
The most significant development during the recent visit of Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom to China was the signing of a Free Trade Agreement between the two nations. Though this development does not give any special strategic advantage to China in the immediate future, it reinforces the theory that Maldives is on its […]
Pune: A 14-day joint military exercise — Ekuverin — of Indian army and the Maldives National Defence Force will begin on Friday at Belgaum in Karnataka, a press communique issued by the Southern Command Headquarters, Pune, said. The exercise is being conducted alternatively in India and Maldives since 2009. The seventh edition of the joint […]
Three councillors have been suspended for meeting India’s ambassador to the Maldives, days after authorities banned local officials from hosting foreign diplomats without prior consent. The decision to punish the Gaafu Alifu representatives was made at a board meeting of the Local Government Authority on Wednesday. The Maldives Independent has seen a copy of the […]
Our current president is ensuring that the foreign relations between Maldives and China remain tight. According to our National Bureau of Statistics, in 2016 more than 1.2m tourists arrived in the Maldives. Among them, 575,176 tourists were from Europe. Furthermore, 572,336 of the tourists were from Asia and among them, China contributed 324,326 tourists to […]
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is to visit the Maldives next week. Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said that the prime minister will depart for the Maldives right after his visit to Sri Lanka, from the 17th to 19th of December. However, it did not reveal any information on the duration of the visit. Furthermore, the Ministry […]
New Delhi’s outdated strategic mentality cannot “dampen the strong enthusiasm” in the region for deepening cooperation with Beijing, Chinese state media has claimed. The Global Times, an excitable tabloid that often reflects party thinking, said the formal handover of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port to China on a 99-year lease had stirred alarm in New Delhi. […]
Maldivian ambassador Mohamed Hussain Shareef (L) chairs the 293rd meeting of the Colombo Plan Council in Sri Lanka. PHOTO/EMBASSY OF MALDIVES The Maldives on Tuesday was appointed chair of the Colombo Plan Council for the third time. Colombo Plan is an international organization founded in 1950, which works to establish bilateral relations to provide foreign […]
The original Dhivehi article was published on Vfp.mv website on 10th December 2017. The following is a loose translation: A free trade agreement is done amongst similar nations in the motive to expand their businesses and mutually derive gains. However, if done between countries that differ in the development category they belong to, it won’t […]
British Ambassador James Dauris pictured riding a motorbike with some local councillors during his visit to GDh Thinadhoo. PHOTO/JAMES DAURIS TWITTER The Local Government Authority (LGA)’s decision to ban local councils from meeting with foreign diplomats and organisations without special permission from the government has sparked concerns. The parent body of councils had issued the […]