The Norwegian Ambassador to Maldives Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther has paid a courtesy call on acting Foreign Secretary Ahmed Khaleel.
During the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gaustadsæther commended the people of the Maldives for the successful holding of the presidential election and noted the smooth and peaceful manner in which it was conducted. The ambassador stressed the importance of small countries to work together, especially in addressing common challenges, such as environmental protection, both bilaterally and at various multilateral fora. In this regard, he noted the initiatives undertaken by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), particularly, under the chairmanship of Maldives over the past four years.
Acting Foreign Secretary Khaleel and the ambassador discussed issues of bilateral significance and focused on ways of further strengthening and enhancing the existing bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in the area of environmental protection, renewable energy, counter-terrorism and trade promotion. Khaleel also thanked the ambassador for Norway’s assistance to AOSIS throughout the chairmanship of Maldives.