Maldives and Japan have discussed on increasing the number of Japanese tourists to Maldives, facilitating better air travel between the two countries and enhancing cooperation in the multilateral fora.
The discussions took place during a meeting held between President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. The meeting took place at a summit meeting as part of the ongoing official visit to Japan by President Solih on an invitation from the Government of Japan.
During the meeting, the president extended his heartfelt gratitude to the government and the people of Japan for all that it has done for Maldives over the years. The two leaders conversed on how best to forward bilateral relations between Maldives and Japan by building on the fruitful history of constructive engagement between the two countries.
Japan continue to be the single largest aid donor to the Maldives, helping the country progress in infrastructural development and virtually all socio-economic spheres: from health to education, to climate-resilience and environmental conservation. Japanese aid was crucial in bolstering the successful graduation of Maldives from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to Middle-Income Countries (MICs) status in 2011.
As administration of President Solih seeks to realise an ambitious development agenda at home, entailing: a shift to a decentralized governance framework and a transformed economy that will benefit all citizens equitably, Maldives is once again in need of the help of its international partners.
Accordingly, discussions centred around how future engagement between the two countries can complement domestic initiatives of the administration, availing Japanese technical assistance and entrepreneurship in areas such as governance, infrastructural development, and fiscal policy.
President Solih also conveyed his congratulations to Emperor Naruhito for his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne and also relayed his deepest sympathies for those affected by Typhoon Hagibis which devastated the Kantō region of Japan last week.
On conclusion, the president wished Prime Minister Abe well in fulfilling his duties to the Japanese people which he reciprocated in turn and invited him to make a visit to Maldives.
President Solih is to conclude his official visit to Japan on October 26.