EU provides EUR 3 mln grant funding to the Maldives

The European Union has provided a EUR 3 million grant funding to the Maldives.

The European Union and its member states have welcomed the Maldives' decisive, transparent and effective reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak.

A joint press release issued by the Maldives government and the European Union said the collaborative approach taken by Maldives in the face of the global pandemic has allowed for the swift and orderly repatriation of European tourists in the archipelago.

To support the Maldives, the European Union will be providing EUR 1 million to the health sector and EUR 2 million to the tourism industry, including the smaller operators and their employees, said the press release.

“In these unprecedented times, the EU-Maldives collaborative approach is needed more than ever: it is only together that we can address this global challenge, which was unimaginable only a couple of months ago. European solidarity are not empty words: it means working jointly so that the health and tourism sectors in the Maldives can benefit from European funding, and that Europeans will be able to come back faster to the Maldives," said the EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, H.E Denis Chaibi.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid, said the EU's offer of support is a clear demonstration of the reinvigorated bonds of friendship and cooperation between the Maldives and the EU, especially during such extraordinary times as now. He thanked the EU for its timely assistance, and said it would help the Maldives in strengthening its health sector and assist in the economic recovery efforts, in particular, in the tourism related sectors.

The minister further expressed hope to receive greater participation from the EU for the country’s socio-economic recovery plans. He acknowledged that COVID-19 does not distinguish between borders and that the pandemic can be overcome only through joint effort.