President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, upon recommendation from the Cabinet, has decided to submit the text of the Samoa Agreement with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to the Parliament for approval.

The decision was made following discussions on a paper submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during yesterday's Cabinet meeting.

The Samoa Agreement is the overarching framework for EU relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. It focuses on six key priority areas to tackle the main challenges over the next two decades. These priorities include human rights, democracy, and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and migration and mobility.

By signing the agreement and becoming a full member of the OACPS, the Maldives would be able to access the opportunities provided by the European Union across different sectors more easily. These opportunities would also lead to better prices for Maldivian fisheries products when exported internationally.

The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Maldives to the Kingdom of Belgium, Her Excellency Geela Ali, presented her Letters of Credence to His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium. The ceremony took place earlier today at Château de Laeken in Brussels.

During the private audience that followed the Credential Ceremony, King Philippe welcomed Ambassador Geela and congratulated her on assumption of her duties as the Ambassador of Maldives to Belgium. Ambassador Geela expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome extended to her and conveyed greetings and best wishes from President Dr. Muizzu and the people of Maldives to His Majesty the King and the people of Belgium.

Ambassador Geela assured King Philippe of the commitment of the Government of Maldives to enhance the bilateral ties between the two countries and to work together to foster closer collaboration in areas of common interest such as climate change, sustainable development and tourism.

Ambassador Geela is a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience in both the Health and Foreign Service sector of the Maldives. She began her career in Foreign Service in 2015, serving as the Minister, and Charge de Affairs at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Maldives to the UN offices in Geneva, Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Maldives in London (2016-2018) and Additional Secretary and Head of the Consular Services Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018.

Ambassador Geela was accompanied by Mr. Mohamed Shaffau Ibrahim, First Secretary and Mr. Hassan Nawaaf, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Maldives in Brussels

ENDS

President H.E. Dr Mohamed Muizzu returned to Malé today after concluding his visit to Antigua and Barbuda to attend the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4).
 
The President, who also co-chaired the conference, called on the international community to honour its past commitments and meet SIDS's tailored financing needs. 
 
President Dr Muizzu additionally condemned the acts of violence and aggression by Israel and called on the leaders of SIDS for collective solidarity with the people of Palestine.
 
In addition to participating in various conference discussions, the President engaged in numerous sideline events and held high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings. During the conference, he played a pivotal role in advocating for SIDS and proposed numerous solutions to identify and resolve the unique challenges and SIDS-related issues.