President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih acknowledges Japan's prominent role in supporting the Maldives. He made the statement during a farewell call paid by the Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Keiko Yanai.
During the meeting, President Solih commended Ambassador Yanai for her tremendous commitment to strengthening the long-standing relationship between the Maldives and Japan. He also acknowledged Japan's prominent role in supporting the development of the Maldives, including assistance in major projects such as the seawall constructed around Malé and scholarship opportunities provided to Maldivian students over the years.
Furthermore, Ambassador Yanai expressed gratitude for the Maldivian government's support and help throughout her stay and stated her commitment to promoting the rich culture of the Maldives in Japan. President Solih also expressed gratitude, on behalf of the Maldivian government and people, for the USD 45 million granted to assist in the emergency response to COVID-19. He also emphasised that it was by far Japan's greatest concessional loan to the Maldives, demonstrating the Japanese government's generosity and the close bilateral friendship between our two countries.
At the meeting, Ambassador Yanai and President Solih addressed future avenues of collaboration between the two countries and expressed fresh optimism for the advancement of bilateral relations between the two countries. 2022 would mark the 55th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries.