The High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to the Maldives, Her Excellency, Caron Rohsler, has paid a courtesy call on Vice President Faisal Naseem this morning at the President’s Office, where the two discussed strengthening bilateral ties. The Vice President congratulated the High Commissioner on a successful first year in her diplomatic posting to the Maldives, noting that our relationship has gone from strength to strength during her tenure. He thanked her in particular for her assistance in expediting the Maldives’ successful effort to rejoin the Commonwealth earlier this year, while emphasizing that the Maldives is proud to be a part of this important organization.

The Vice President and High Commissioner also discussed our countries’ respective situations with respect to Covid-19 and on coordinating government efforts and messaging to better control the pandemic. They also discussed cooperation with regard to a range of areas including education, the economy and trade, tourism, multilateral engagement, and coordinating efforts to preserve the environment and address the climate emergency.

The Vice President thanked the Government of the United Kingdom for its decision to include the Maldives in its travel corridor list, noting that the UK remains one of our largest tourism markets and that the Maldives is happy that an increasing number of UK tourists have been visiting us following the gradual reopening of our borders. Further, he urged the UK Government to positively consider the Maldives’ requests for tariff concessions on our tuna exports, and reiterated that the Maldives' exclusively uses pole and line methods for its fisheries, making its tuna the most sustainably fished in the world.

Ending the call, the Vice President and High Commissioner expressed their mutual commitment to strengthen the already excellent ties between the Maldives and the United Kingdom.