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Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)

Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the 10th ... Image 1

 

09 December 2022

Chair of the 10th OACPS Summit, His Excellency Joao Lourenco President of Angola, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

I bring with me the best wishes and greetings of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and the Maldivian people. I congratulate you, Mr. President, as well as the Government and friendly people of Angola for hosting an excellent Summit. This is my second time in Luanda this year. And my third visit to the country.

The warmth of the welcome, and the generosity of hospitality continues to exceed every time. And I am sure we all carry back with us fond memories and experiences from this beautiful country.

Excellencies,

Today, I stand here proud. Proud that the Maldives has become a full member of the Organization for African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Today is also a historic day. The African nations - our immediate neighbours to the West - have extended their hands and embraced us. Included us in your family - the African family. Our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean and the Pacific have received us.

Our common values, our hopes for a fairer, just, and peaceful world, as well as our shared challenges have bound us together. Our affinity transcends oceans. As a small island developing State, we sought a group of countries who acknowledged our special situation. As a vulnerable nation, we wanted to move closer to those who were willing to lend us a helping hand. That is why our decision to apply for full membership only felt natural. And now that we are here, the Maldives is ready to engage.

We did not become a member just to reap its benefits. We are ready to share our experiences. We have a compelling story. One that elevated us from being the 6th poorest country in the world at independence in 1965, to just the third country to graduate towards becoming a Middle-Income Country in 2011. And one that continues to steer us through the dire global economic situation, despite our inherent vulnerabilities.

Excellencies, we are here to contribute! To work with all of you to achieve our shared objectives. We will be a constructive and reliable partner.

Excellencies,

Our journey here would not have been possible without your strong support. From every single Maldivian citizen, I thank you for trusting us and for believing in us. For accepting us into the family. For the support and solidarity. And the friendship. For that, we will stand in solidarity with you.

We intend to hit the ground running. Later today, we intend to sign the Georgetown Agreement. We will take steps to accede to the Cotonou Agreement without delay.

Going forward, I envision the OACPS to play a leading role in finding solutions to our shared challenges. We maybe oceans apart, but our destinies are inseparably linked.

Once again, let me thank you for your invaluable support and for welcoming us into the OACPS family. I thank you.