The Japanese Government has donated marine pollution response equipment worth MVR 43 million to the Maldives.
The Government of Maldives received oil-spill prevention equipment and material from the Government of Japan at a ceremony held in reclaimed suburb, Hulhumale on Monday. The handover of the equipment is one component of the culmination of ongoing dialogue and partnership between the two countries, which was initially announced during the official visit to Japan by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in October 2019.
It was in December 2018 that the Government of Maldives and the Government of Japan signed the Exchange of Notes under the terms of which the Japanese Government provided a grant of three hundred million Japanese Yen to further promote the economic and social development in the country. This grant was utilised to procure oil-spill prevention equipment and material. At the time, the Exchange of Notes were signed on behalf of the Maldives by His Excellency Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and on behalf of Japan by His Excellency Kazumi Endo, the previous Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Maldives.
Japan remains one of the key bilateral partners of the Maldives, and has contributed immensely to the development of education, the social and environment sectors in the country. It continues to provide development and technical assistance to the Maldives during the COVID-19 situation.
