External challenges have decreased: Foreign Minister

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah has said that since the transfer of power in February, the challenges faced by the Maldives in terms of external affairs have decreased.

Dr Samad made this statement at a press conference held at the press room in Velaanaage.

“We faced serious challenges from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) as well as the Western world. Our team had to work extra hard over the past four, five months to face up to these challenges,” he said.

He said that senior officials of the Ministry had to travel abroad and meet with international institutions to clarify the situation in the Maldives to them.

He referred to the calls by a group of Maldivians to boycott the tourism industry in Maldives, and said that this is not acceptable.

“It’s hard for me to comprehend, that a group of Maldivians can campaign to boycott our tourism industry. This will affect the Maldivian people. It’s hard to accept,” Dr Samad said.