Germany and Maldives discussed the effects of climate change on the survival of small island states on Tuesday.
The discussion took place between the Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and his German counterpart, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs German Heiko Mass, in a meeting held at the sidelines of the fifth Berlin Energy Dialogue.
The diplomats spoke on ways to further strengthen the existing bilateral ties between Maldives and Germany, including the issue of setting up of a permanent office in the Maldives for Maldivians to apply for Schengen visas.
Federal Foreign Minister Mass thanked Minister Shahid for accepting his invitation to attend the conference.
He conveyed his delight at the smooth transition of powers following the Presidential Elections held in September 2018 and also congratulated Minister Shahid on the new government's success in the parliamentary elections held on April 6.
Minister Shahid thanked the German government and the European Union (EU) for the strong support extended to Maldivians that had contributed significantly towards achieving a smooth transition in the Maldives.
Foreign Minister Shahid is currently on an official visit to Germany to attend the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2019. At the conference, he participated at the Panel discussion on 'Geopolitics in the Age of renewable energy'.