Maldives' Non-Resident Ambassador to Palestine, Mohamed Khaleel, has presented his credentials to Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.
The ceremony took place at the Palestinian Embassy in Jordan on Wednesday. This is the first time a Maldivian Ambassador presented credentials to a Palestinian president.
At the meeting held after the ceremony, the Palestinian President welcomed Ambassador Khaleel and wished him success in his tenure as Ambassador.
Ambassador Khaleel extended his warm wishes to President Abbas, the Palestinian people, and the government on behalf of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Ambassador Khaleel said the government and the people of the Maldives will always stand with the people of Palestine. He stressed that Palestine is of special importance to every Maldivian citizen, adding that the Maldivian government will always support establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
President Abbas expressed his thanks to President Solih for his special relationship with Palestine and asked Ambassador Khaleel to relay his respect to the President on his behalf. President Abbas also noted the Maldivian government's continued support for the Palestinian people's efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state and the importance the Maldives gives to establishing peace and stability in the Middle East. He also praised the Maldives for its international advocacy for the protection of the human rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
Bi-lateral relations between Maldives and Palestine were established on April 4, 1982.
