British Ambassador to Maldives James Dauris has expressed gratitude to the Maldives for the consular support provided in the past year.
In his New Year message, British Ambassador to Maldives James Dauris noted that Maldives and UK enjoy a long-standing relationship which is connected through history and most importantly, through people.
"The relationship that the Maldives and the UK enjoy is long-standing. We are connected through history, through shared interests and concerns and, perhaps most importantly, through people. This year British tourists have again made a very important contribution to Maldives' economy. This year around a hundred thousand British holidaymakers have visited your extraordinary country and I'm sure they will have enjoyed it. Of course, a few people fall sick or get into difficulties and we are again grateful to the Maldives police and coastguard for the consular support they have given us during the year," he said.
Highlighting that in 2017, British tourists have made a very important contribution to the Maldivian economy, James Dauris cited that around a 100,000 British holidaymakers have visited Maldives.
Continuing on, the British Ambassador stated that the harmony and peace established in Maldives is one of the many reasons why people choose to visit the country. In this context, Dauris mentioned that maintaining the balance between economic interests and conservation is one that will need principled decision-making. "In Maldives, beauty and environmental fragility go hand in hand. Experiences of countries around the world show us that coral reefs destroyed are impossible to replace, areas of mangrove bulldozed almost impossible to re-establish. It's because the Maldives are so unspoiled that many people choose to visit. Going forwards I think that getting the balance between economic interest and conservation is one that will need careful thought and principled decision-taking," further stated the British Ambassador
In conclusion, Ambassador Dauris assured his commitment to work together with Maldivian authorities for the betterment of the country.