Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has expressed his appreciation for the outgoing Ambassador of China to the Maldives Zhang Lizhong, for his contribution in enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Speaking at the farewell reception of Ambassador Zhang, Minister Shahid thanked the Ambassador’s sincere contributions to further promoting the close bilateral relations between the two countries during his tenure as Ambassador, as well as for his personal commitment in overseeing the successful implementation of various developmental projects that were conducted with the assistance of the Chinese Government.
Minister Shahid recalled that Ambassador Zhang has been an active member of the Diplomatic Corp, engaging closely with local communities through various assistance programmes, and also working in close collaboration with the Government of the Maldives both on issue in the international sphere and on improving the bilateral partnership and friendship between Maldives and China. Minister Shahid stated Ambassador Zhang will be missed by the Maldivian people, and expressed his best wishes to the Ambassador in his future endeavours.
Ambassador Zhang arrived in the Maldives in August 2017 and is the third Ambassador of China to the Maldives following the opening of the Chinese Embassy in Male’ in 2011. The farewell reception organised by the Embassy of China was attended by ministers, parliamentarians, the Diplomatic Corp and high-level officials from government and private sectors.