Ambassadors From Senegal, Switzerland & Turkey Present Credentials To President Solih

At three separate appointments held at the President’s Office, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih welcomed three newly appointed Ambassadors from Senegal, Switzerland & Turkey where each of them presented their credentials to the president.

The new Ambassador of Switzerland to the Maldives, Dominik Furgler was welcomed by the President and both parties discussed avenues of cooperation, including climate change, environmental advocacy, decentralization, Covid-19 management, and tourism. Highlighting the importance attached by the Government to improving trade and investments between Maldives and Switzerland, the President also extended invitation for Swiss companies to invest in the Maldives.

Ambassador Furgler expressed his desire to work closely with the Maldivian Government in facilitating opportunities for Swiss investors to invest in the Maldives. Emphasizing that direct flight operations from Switzerland to the Maldives are expected to resume soon, the Ambassador stated that the Maldives is a popular tourist destination for the Swiss. The President and Ambassador also discussed avenues to facilitate visa-free travel for Maldivians traveling to Europe. Furthermore, the President also emphasized the Maldivian Government's interest in exploring higher education scholarship opportunities for Maldivian students.

The new Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal, Abdoul Wahab Haidara was welcomed by the President and was congratulated for the commencement of his duties. Speaking at the meeting, the Ambassador expressed his delight in accepting the term in office and conveyed well wishes of the Senegalese President Macky Sall to President Solih. The Ambassador congratulated the Maldives for securing the Presidency of the 76th United Nations General Assembly.

President Solih highlighted that the main interest of the Maldives lies in the improvement of economic and trade ties and to attract more investments into the country. The President and the Ambassador discussed areas of mutual interest, including Covid-19 management, climate change, sports, tourism and culture. They further explored opportunities ‎‎for increasing cooperation between the Maldives and Senegal in the areas of ‎‎human rights and counter terrorism.

President Solih congratulated and welcomed Rakibe Demet Şekercioğlu, the Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Turkey to the Maldives. Both parties discussed a plethora of issues, including trade and commerce, security and counter-terrorism, education, and human resources development. President Solih expressed the Maldives' interest in increasing trade and investment between the two countries and invited Turkish companies to explore investment opportunities in the Maldives.

Speaking further, President Solih described as "growing concerns" the rise of extremism, radicalism, and terrorism, asserting that the international community should work together to address these concerns. The President and the Ambassador also discussed ways to increase training and higher education opportunities for Maldivians through Turkish academic institutions.