Foreign Minister concludes visit to India

Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid concluded his visit to India on Thursday, where he delivered a keynote address on climate change at the Raisina Dialogue 2020 on January 15.

Minister Shahid emphasised the threats faced by vulnerable maritime nations such as the Maldivian archipelago due to climate change, in his remarks. He called on the international arena to adapt, understand and respect each other in order to face the growing challenges of conflict, poverty, and pollution in addition to climate change.

“For the Maldives, and, for the world over, climate change can be best described as a security and human rights challenge”, he declared.

'Climate change threatens to undercut all progress': Minister Shahid at Raisina Dialogue 2020

The Edition

Minister Shahid also spoke at a roundtable on Resilient Infrastructure, which was organised by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Observer Research Foundation. He was part of a Facebook Live Event as well, where he spoke on climate change and terrorism.

On the sidelines of the Dialogue, the minister met several heads of delegations including his counterparts from India, Czech Republic, Latvia, Russia, Denmark, Hungary, Estonia, and South Africa, as well as dignitaries such as the National Security Advisor of Afghanistan, the Deputy National Security Advisor of the USA, and the Chief of Defence Staff of India. The Foreign Secretary (designate) of India, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also called on the foreign minister.

Moreover, Shahid and other ministerial delegates held a courtesy meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

The Raisina Dialogue is an annual conference hosted by the Observer Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Minister Shahid was accompanied during the visit by Ambassador of Maldives to India Aisha Mohamed Didi, Minister (Deputy Chief of Mission) Aminath Shabeena, Director of Communications Miuvaan Mohamed and Director of India Section Mariyam Midhfa Naeem from the foreign ministry, and officials of the Embassy of Maldives in India.