President calls on all citizens to foster cooperation, defend sovereignty

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has, in his Victory Day greetings message, called on all Maldivians to stay away from irreligious and disruptive influences, and to work together to foster the spirit of cooperation and defend the country’s sovereignty.

In his message, the President said that the people of Maldives have not forgotten that the 3 November mercenary attack, and previous attempts at destroying the country’s independence, were due to treason of a few treacherous Maldivians.

He said that that there were important lessons to be learnt from such experiences, and urged all Maldivians to be strong Muslims who are sincere and faithful to their nation.

The President noted that the Maldives, its national security forces, and its people emerged victorious on that day, and offered his gratitude and praise to the brave soldiers and members of the public who fought for the independence, sovereignty and security of the country.

He said that the country’s defence and security policies were reformed following the mercenary attack, and steps were taken to strengthen national security. He noted the expeditious changes made to the defence force by the visionary leaders of that time.