The ambassadors appointed by the governments of South Korea, Cuba and Vietnam to the Maldives have presented their credentials to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The Ambassador of South Korea to the Maldives, Jeon Woonjin, presented his credentials to President Solih at a ceremony held at the President’s Office on August 15. Following the credentials ceremony, President Solih congratulated the new ambassador on the commencement of his term and convey his thanks to South Korea for their support towards the Maldives’ candidature during the 76th Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elections, in June earlier this year.
Furthermore, the president thanked the Korean government for the continued development assistance and expressed his appreciation for the generous contributions by the Government of Korea as relief assistance provided to the Maldives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The president and the ambassador also discussed issues of mutual interest for both countries, such as climate change.
The new Ambassador of Cuba, Andrés Marcelo González Garrido, also presented his Letter of Credence to President Solih at the President's Office on August 15. Speaking to the ambassador after the credentials ceremony, the president thanked the ambassador for Cuba's generous assistance to the health sector and higher education sector of the Maldives. In this regard, the president highlighted that the Government of Cuba had been providing scholarships for Maldivian students from the Latin American School of Medicine. He also noted that the Maldives had received the services of Cuban doctors in the past. Both sides discussed exploring avenues to further expand scholarship opportunities for Maldivian students at Cuban institutions.
The President further conveyed his gratitude for the Cuban Government’s support to the Maldives in the election for the Presidency of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) election. The ambassador expressed assurances of Cuba's commitment to continue as a friend and a partner to the Maldives, highlighting that the Cuban Parliament also stands ready to extend cooperation with the Maldives Parliament.
The new Ambassador of Vietnam to the Maldives, Ho Thi Thanh Truc, also presented her Letter of Credence to President Solih on August 15. At the ceremony, the president welcomed the ambassador to the Maldives and congratulated her on the commencement of her term. He highlighted that the two countries would mark the 46th year of diplomatic relations this year and noted that both Maldives and Vietnam had made positive strides in this partnership. In this regard, the president mentioned that he hopes for further bilateral consultations and exchange of high-level visits to solidify the partnership further and explore new avenues of cooperation.
President Solih expressed his appreciation for the generous contribution by the Vietnamese Government to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives. He stated his wish to explore new possibilities for increasing trade, investments and other areas of cooperation between the two countries. The president also requested for Vietnam Government’s support for the Maldives to achieve observer status in ASEAN.
The ambassador expressed assurances of Vietnam’s commitment to continue in its role as a friend and a partner to the Maldives, highlighting that Vietnam stands ready to extend support and assistance to the Maldives in every way possible. The president and the ambassador expressed interest in working closely within the United Nations on all areas of interest, including climate change and sustainable development.