Ambassador of Belgium the Maldives Jan Luykx has stated that the decisions passed under the Commonwealth Charter was not easy to change.
He made the statement speaking to Miadhu regarding some of the measures enacted by EU on Maldives.
Luykx stated that the measures were not specifically targeted towards Maldives, but rather general ones compiled on universally accepted aspects in EU. Therefore, he said that measures will be taken on those instances going against the charter.
Some EU nations have placed certain restrictions on fish exports from Maldives, citing lack of religious freedom in the nation.
Luykx stated that Belgium was the sixth nation to sign the EU agreement and therefore, will seek to uphold the charter. He spoke on the nature of government in Belgium, which is a constitutional monarchy, with the Prime Minister wielding much of the executive powers.
He also spoke on what he had observed in the Maldives in the last few weeks since his appointment to the position. Luykx added that if proper marketing was employed, he was sure that the number of Belgium tourists to the country increase. He also noted the excellent hospitality and the warm welcome extended by many Maldivians.
“Around 60,000 tourists visit India. For Maldives that amount is between 5,000 and 10,000. So, there is plenty of room to grow the sector,” he said.
Luykx assured that he will seek to use experienced Belgian companies to address the pressing environmental issues facing Maldives, citing that some companies have the capability to generate gas from waste water.
He also assured that he seek to secure Belgian medical assistance to Maldives as well.
Changing decisions issued under Commonwealth charter is not easy: Ambassador Luykx
