Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has expressed there is a profound mutual dependency between Indian Ocean and Maldives.
Addressing the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on the topic, Maldives and Indian Ocean security, Foreign Minister Shahid stressed on the Maldivian belief that a stronger partnership between the US and the Maldives is crucial for promoting maritime security in the Indian Ocean. Minister Shahid also stated such a partnership is critical for the security of the South Asia region and indeed vital for making Maldives stronger in regional and global politics.
The foreign minister addressed the Round Table, as part of his two-day official visit to Washington DC to hold meetings with officials of the US government. He is accompanied in Washington DC, by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the UN and Ambassador to the US Ali Naseer Mohamed and officials of the Maldives Mission in New York.