President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that citizens residing in the islands of the archipelago have been neglected long enough, and that it is time for a change.
Kicking off Maldives Partnership Forum on Monday, President Solih said people in the atolls have been traveling to the greater Male' region to meet their basic needs such as health and education for decades, which has caused an urban crisis in the capital.
"The Government’s decentralization policy is intended to rectify this. We believe that economic development and the provision of basic services should encompass the entire breadth of the country", said the president.
President Solih expressed his confidence that the government's vision of a 'Jazeera Raajje' would bring about sustainable development across the nation equally, and stated that the assistance of the country's development partners is imperative to achieve the vision.
President Solih also highlighted the importance of the support of development partners in building resilience to withstand the impacts of climate change faced by the Maldives.
Maldives Partnership Forum is the biggest multilateral gathering of its kind to be organized in the Maldives. While multiple countries and international organizations are participating in the forum, it is expected to strengthen bilateral relations in addition to opening up new opportunities for the Maldives.
The forum being held in partnership with the President’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance is centered around the theme 'Investing in a Resilient and Sustainable Maldives'. It will act as a platform for the government to present prospective opportunities to development partners.
