Antony Blinken met with the visiting Maldivian Overseas Minister on Tuesday.

Washington/Male:

The US has reaffirmed its dedication to partnering with the Maldives to advertise a free, open, safe, and affluent Indo-Pacific area, a senior state division official has mentioned, amidst the archipelagic nation within the Indian Ocean transferring nearer to China.

This message was conveyed when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with visiting Maldivian Overseas Minister Moosa Zameer on Tuesday in Washington, DC.

Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the US dedication to partnering with Maldives to advertise a free, open, safe, and affluent Indo-Pacific area, state division spokesperson Matthew Miller mentioned.

Ever since Maldivian chief Mohamed Muizzu, identified for his pro-China leanings, assumed cost as President in November final yr, the Maldives has stepped up ties with Beijing and inked a number of bilateral agreements, together with a defence cooperation deal.

Blinken’s reference to the Indo-Pacific can also be important since China is vehemently against the US and different nations getting concerned in a area the place Beijing has main maritime territorial disputes with nations such because the Philippines and Vietnam.

Blinken highlighted the US donation of eight patrol boats to the Maldives and, working with Congress, the deliberate provision of $2 million in hydrographic assist to assist the nation mitigate the impression of rising sea ranges, Miller mentioned in a press release.

Blinken and Zameer mentioned further alternatives to boost cooperation on addressing the local weather disaster, financial progress, maritime safety, and different bilateral priorities, it mentioned.

In Male, the overseas ministry mentioned Zameer and Blinken mentioned issues within the space of defence and safety cooperation, dedication to financial progress and adapting to local weather change amongst different points and expressed their dedication to regional stability and maritime safety.

“Met with Maldivian Overseas Minister @MoosaZameer to boost the US-Maldives partnership and cooperation on local weather, financial progress, and maritime safety,” posted Blinken on his X deal with with the photographs of the assembly.

Nearly echoing the sentiment, Zameer posted on his X deal with, “I’m delighted to fulfill with the Honourable @SecBlinken, Secretary of State of the US, right this moment. I reaffirmed our dedication to additional strengthen the partnership between the Maldives and US in tackling local weather change, selling democracy and cooperation in maritime safety.”

An announcement from the Maldives Overseas Ministry mentioned that the Maldives and the USA reaffirmed their dedication to discover new avenues “to strengthen the partnership” and acknowledged the significance of upholding a rules-based worldwide order and expressed their dedication to regional stability, maritime safety and selling peace.

“Secretary Blinken congratulated the Maldives on the profitable Presidential and Parliamentary elections and acknowledged the Maldives’ management within the worldwide fora in direction of combating local weather change and selling environmental sustainability,” the assertion mentioned.

Information portal Solar.mv mentioned that earlier on Tuesday, Zameer met with Samantha Energy, the Administrator of the US Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID).

“The 2 deliberated on varied themes associated to economical developments and defending the setting along with consolidating Maldivian associations with the company’s help,” Version.mv mentioned.

Zameer had left for Washington on Sunday evening, in a go to that the Overseas Ministry mentioned seeks to “additional strengthen the Maldives – US partnership and reaffirm dedication to multilateralism,” Solar.mv mentioned.

Zameer may also journey to New York, the place he’ll meet with the UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres and the UN Beneath-Secretary-Common for Financial and Social Affairs, Li Junhua, media experiences mentioned.

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