President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa have discussed the current COVID-19 situation in both countries and steps being taken to overcome the pandemic.
The discussion was held as part of the president’s ongoing unofficial private visit to Sri Lanka. The meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka, in Colombo on July 22.
During the meeting, President Solih and President Rajapaksa discussed the unprecedented challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to their respective countries and their citizens' well-being. They outlined the steps being taken to ensure that their facilities do not become overburdened, emphasising that vaccination is their top priority for a faster and sustainable recovery.
Speaking at the meeting, President Solih highlighted that the Maldives has vaccinated over 72% of the eligible population with the first dose of vaccinations and 59% with the second dose. He noted the Maldives reopened borders for tourism in July 2020, following border control precautions, and has since welcomed over 700,000 tourists.
Ending the call, President Solih and President Rajapaksa reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further enhance Maldives-Sri Lanka cooperation in the years ahead.