Foreign Ministry has revealed that an expense of MVR 2.8 million was incurred for international trips taken by Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid during the first year of administration.
The ministry said MVR 3.21 billion was received as a grant aid during these trips.
Foreign Ministry said the details of the minister's travels between November 17, 2018 and November 17, 2019 were provided to an individual on Tuesday on his request as per the Right to Information Act.
While the foreign minister undertook two official visits between November 17, 2018 and December 31, 2018, a total expense of 194,590.40 was incurred for the trips, revealed the ministry.
MVR 2,642,289.1 was incurred for the 17 official trips taken by the foreign minister the following year between January 1, 2019 to November 17, 2019. Therefore, a total expenditure of MVR 2,840,879.54 was spent from the state budget for the minister's travels during the first year of the current government's administration for 18 trips.
Foreign Ministry said these are bilateral visits to foriegn nations to meet with his counterparts, and trips taken to attend conferences and meetings of international organizations that the Maldives is part of. The foreign minister also accompanied President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on some of his official visits to foreign nations.
The ministry said as a result of the visits, the relations that the archipelago has with foreign nations were strengthened, and Maldives was acknowledged in the international arena. The country also received MVR 3.21 billion as grant aids from the friendly nations, said the ministry.
