Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim and the United States Ambassador to the Maldives Hugo Yon convened on Friday for high-level discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in the environmental sector, with particular attention given to investment in clean energy initiatives. The meeting was hosted at the environment ministry in Malé. Central to their exchange were proposals to expedite foreign investment in environmentally sustainable energy generation, notably in solar and other renewable technologies.
This dialogue underscored both governments' commitment to deepening diplomatic ties through environmental collaboration. Minister Thoriq and Ambassador Yon also examined the prospect of US assistance to support the Maldives' efforts in addressing acute ecological challenges, especially those tied to energy transition and climate resilience.
Clean energy emerged as a defining theme, with solar power development identified as a principal area of shared interest. Ministry officials described the talks as a pivotal step toward advancing strategic cooperation and encouraging joint responses to environmental vulnerabilities that continue to threaten small island nations.
Within this context, the administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has been advancing a broad portfolio of environmental initiatives, many designed to reconfigure the national energy infrastructure in favour of low-carbon alternatives. Among these is the landmark 'Solar City' initiative, which President Muizzu designated as the country's inaugural Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project during a state visit to Singapore in July. The programme has now entered its implementation phase, backed by contractual arrangements for the development of a 100-megawatt floating solar photovoltaic (PV) system.