Minister of State for South and Central Asia, UN and the Commonwealth, and Prime Minister's Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict of the United Kingdom, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, arrived in the Maldives on Tuesday on an official visit.
Lord Ahmad was received at the Velana International Airport by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This visit marks the first high-level visit to the Maldives from the United Kingdom since 2018.
Lord Ahmad visited the Defense Ministry and met with Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi. During the meeting held at the Defense Ministry, the defense engagement and security cooperation between the two countries were discussed. Minister Mariya thanked the UK Government for the excellent cooperation and assistance extended to the Maldives, especially in the Defence and Security Sector, signaling fresh impetus to a positive diplomatic trajectory in the past three years. The Minister welcomed the opening of a new chapter in the two countries' age-old security relationship, after a gap of over ten years, in the form of training programs and exercises with the MNDF.
The UK Minister of State Lord Ahmad highlighted the UK Government's commitment to boosting cooperation with the Maldives.
