Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, the newly appointed non-resident Ambassador of the Maldives to Cuba, presented his credentials to the Cuban President, Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, during a ceremony at the official office of the Cuban President.
Following the presentation, a diplomatic meeting was held where greetings and well wishes were conveyed to President Díaz-Canel, his government, and the citizens of Cuba on behalf of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldivian government, and its people. The long-standing and close relationship between the two nations will serve as a foundation as both countries work collaboratively to further strengthen their ties, Ambassador Abdul Ghafoor stated. President Díaz-Canel Bermúdez noted that the close friendship shared by the two nations and the cooperation consistently provided by the Maldives in the international arena are deeply appreciated.
During his visit to Havana, Ambassador Abdul Ghafoor participated in a ceremony held at the Plaza de la Revolución José Martí, paying tribute to the national hero of Cuba. He also met directly with Maldivian students who are currently residing in Havana to pursue higher education in the medical and healthcare fields.
Official diplomatic and political relations between the Maldives and Cuba were first established on 19 January 1977. Since then, the Maldives has continued to receive considerable assistance from Cuba within the healthcare sector, which encompasses both the deployment of Cuban medical professionals to the Maldives and the provision of vital scholarship opportunities for Maldivian students to undergo comprehensive medical training.
In addition to his new diplomatic duties in Havana, Ambassador Abdul Ghafoor currently serves as the Ambassador of the Maldives to the United States and acts as the non-resident Ambassador to Canada.