President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih renamed diplomatic missions in seven Commonwealth member states.
Maldves' diplomatic representation in these countries is recognised as 'High Commissions' instead of 'Embassies', as practised in Commonwealth countries, effective from February 1.
The decision was reached after Maldives was readmitted to the commonwealth as its 54th member on the same date.
The new names are as follows:
- The Maldives High Commission in the United Kingdom
- The Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka
- The Maldives High Commission in India
- The Maldives High Commission in Malaysia
- The Maldives High Commission in Singapore
- The Maldives High Commission in Bangladesh
- The Maldives High Commission in Pakistan
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland presided over a function at the High Commission of Maldives in London to unveil its new name plaque following the name change.
Rejoining the Commonwealth was one of the key foreign policy pledges of President Solih.
Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom withdrew the country from the organisation almost four years prior, citing interference in internal politics.
The incumbent administration formally submitted the expression of interest to rejoin the organisation on December 6, 2018, soon after the president took office in November 2018.
Maldives was formally re-admitted after an initial assessment visit in January 2019, and an elections observation mission in April 2019, followed by a second assessment visit in August 2019.
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