Parliament has approved the appointment of Maldives Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Thoriq Ibrahim as the country's Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The appointment was approved after Parliament debated a letter from President Dr Mohamed Muizzu nominating Thoriq for the post. A total of 57 MPs voted in favor of the appointment.

Thoriq previously served as environment minister under the administrations of former presidents Mohamed Waheed Hassan and Abdulla Yameen.

He was reappointed as environment minister when President Muizzu first formed his cabinet in 2023.

Following a cabinet reshuffle last year, the environment and tourism ministries were merged. Thoriq later resigned from the cabinet earlier this year.

He was recently appointed as the Maldives' ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.