Tuesday
23rd Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Abdullah Shahid, the Maldivian Foreign Minister, has returned to the conutry after an absence of 4 months in order to meet with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, who is on an official visit to the Maldives.
Since his election to the presidency of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Shahid has been residing in New York City. He had visited the Maldives soon after, on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's invitation, in his capacity as the President of the 76th UNGA.
Shahid's most recent return to the Maldives comes four months after his last trip. He tweeted that there was no place like home, and expressed his joy at returning to the Maldives.
Shahid had further stated that he wished for much productive work to be accomplished in the coming days. He mentioned that welcoming the Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor, and discussing ways by which China-Maldives ties could be further strengthened were examples of such productive work.
Some have accused the Solih administration of straining the Maldives' ties with China. The opposition had also accused the Solih administration of depending so much on India that it interfered with foreign relations with China.
The current visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister is the first time in the past five years that a high official of the Chinese government had visited the Maldives.