Message from Hon. Dr. Abdul Samad Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Maldives
On the joyous occasion of the 47th anniversary of our independence, I am happy to extend my warm felicitations and well wishes to all Maldivians living in Sri Lanka. As we celebrate the Independence Day, we are reminded of the heroic efforts made by the Maldivian leaders to secure the independence agreement with Britain. Throughout history, Maldivians have cherished their independence. For, freedom and independence provide the basis of every virtue. By gaining independence, Maldivians wanted the freedom to shape their own destiny. They wanted the freedom to manage their relations with other people and countries as they had done for centuries. For, Maldivians have maintained excellent commercial ties with nations of Indian Ocean rim for centuries, and Sri Lanka provided the gateway for that trade, and continues to remain an important and a favourite destination for Maldivians.
In fact, relations between the Maldives and Sri Lanka can be narrated more comprehensively at people to people level. Although the Maldives has the smallest economy in South Asia, we host more than 8000 Sri Lankans as expatriate workers. This is a significant proportion of the labour force in the Maldives. In this regard, I am happy to note that Maldivian companies are now working towards recruiting more skilled workers from Sri Lanka in various professions.
Sri Lanka has always been an important destination for Maldivian students. Several Maldivian leaders received their education in schools and colleges in Sri Lanka. And it is no surprise that these leaders have always had a soft corner for Sri Lanka.
During the last fortyseven years Maldivians have made important strides in improving their living standards and in expanding our contacts with outside world. From being one of the poorest countries in the world, the Maldives today is proud to be one of the fast developing middle-income countries in Asia. As a nascent democracy, the Maldives is experiencing difficult challenges. Our political leaders, regardless of their political persuasions, are committed to overcome the challenges through dialogue and through national mechanisms.
The Maldives has also expanded its international outreach in recent years. We have been, and will continue to be, active in important global issues, such as human rights and climate change. And we have forged important collaborations with Sri Lanka in finding meaningful solutions to these issues in international fora. The Maldives will continue to work closely with Sri Lanka on important regional and international issues, and will forge enduring partnerships in the years to come.