The Government of Japan has expressed the desire to further address the developmental needs of the Maldives and strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including fisheries, agriculture, environment, disaster prevention, countering climate change and enhancing governance. The discussions were held after the new Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Takeuchi Midori presented her credentials to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
During the meeting held at the President's Office, President Solih highlighted the key role played by her predecessor, Keiko Yanai, in improving bilateral relations between the two countries. He expressed hope for continuing and further strengthening existing relations during the tenure of the new ambassador.
President Solih expressed his appreciation for the significant contributions made by the Japanese government across various sectors of the Maldives. The president noted the Japanese assistance to the Maldives during the COVID-19 pandemic, stating the COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan was the largest concessional loan received from Japan to combat the pandemic.
Furthermore, President Solih thanked the Japanese government for its ongoing development projects in the Maldives, mentioning the Sea Wall Renovation project, Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Project, and also thanked the Japanese government for the assistance received for the development of the health sector, education, sports, agriculture, and community development. He also noted the scholarship opportunities received under the Japanese Development Scholarship Programme to strengthen human resource capacity in the Maldives as some of the significant contributions.
Meanwhile, speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Takeuchi highlighted that this year marks the 55th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations, expressing hope to further strengthen bilateral ties and work together on regional and global issues. The president and the ambassador further explored avenues for increasing cooperation between the two countries.
The Maldives and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1967.