A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
An emergency meeting was called in Parliament and a committee consisting of only ruling party MPs passed the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement. The 1000 page agreement was reviewed within 10 minutes, without any debate and in the absence of opposition MPs. Not even a single MP from opposition was informed about such a meeting or […]
The South Asian region’s political map is transforming phenomenally. The early counting from Nepal’s parliamentary elections, which concluded on Thursday, suggests that the Left Alliance, which comprises the country’s communist parties, is surging ahead and will form the next government in Kathmandu. The Left Alliance is notionally ‘pro-China’ in outlook. Simultaneously, the President of the Maldives, […]
Tourism minister Moosa Zameer pictured speaking at a ceremony. PHOTO/MIHAARU Tourism minister Moosa Zameer announced Thursday that a bill proposing to gain trust and protect passenger rights will be submitted to the parliament next year. In a speech given on the occasion of International Civil Aviation Day, Zameer stated that the government was constantly working […]
Aerial view of HDh Kulhudhuffushi shows ongoing land reclamation. Six hectares of land reclaimed from the western lagoon of Haa Dhaal atoll Kulhudhuffushi and other preparations are fully underway to commence development of the island’s new airport. The government-initiated project to develop a domestic airport in Kulhudhuffushi requires the reclamation of six hectares of the […]
Maldives’ president Abdulla Yameen (L-2) and first lady Fathimath Ibrahim (L) pictured with China’s president Xi Jinping (R-2) and first lady Peng Liyuan during Yameen’s first state visit to China. PHOTO/NEWS.CN The governments of the Maldives and China held official talks Thursday during which Chinese president Xi Jinping declared that the collaboration between the two […]
Ongoing reclamation of land to develop the link road between Hulhule and Hulhumale. PHOTO/HDC The Maldives and China on Thursday signed agreements to develop an Airport Economic Zone and a Joint Ocean Observation Station in the archipelago. The agreements were among 12 key contracts signed between the two countries during president Abdulla Yameen’s first state […]
President Abdulla Yameen (C) speaks at the Business Leaders Forum during his first state visit to China. PHOTO/PRESIDENT’S OFFICE The Maldives on Thursday signed an agreement with China to cooperate with the One Belt, One Road initiative spearheaded by China’s leader Xi Jinping. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Maldives’ economic minister Mohamed […]
Maldives’ president Abdulla Yameen and China’s president Xi Jingping watch as Maldives’ economic minister Mohamed Saeed and China’s commerce minister Zhong Shan sign the free trade agreement between the Maldives and China. PHOTO/PRESIDENT’S OFFICE The governments of the Maldives and China signed the long-discussed free trade agreement (FTA) on Thursday. The agreement was one of […]
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress H.E. Zhang De Jiang has paid a courtesy call on President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. The meeting was held at the Great Hall of People in Beijing this afternoon. Speaking at the meeting, President Yameen noted that the longstanding ties between the Maldives and China […]