UK to open embassy in Maldives

(From L-R) UK High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Ambassador to Maldives James Dauris, Minister of State at the UK Foreign Office Mark Christopher Field, and then-President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. (File Photo/Office of the President-elect)

The Foreign Office of UK has announced plans to open an embassy in Maldives.

The announcement was made by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in a tweet last Tuesday.

Hunt noted in his tweet that more than 100,000 UK citizens visit Maldives each year. He said an embassy in Maldives will help solidify the bilateral ties between Maldives and the UK.

The Maldivian government has welcomed the plans by UK to open an embassy in Maldives.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives said in a statement that the decision shows UK’s commitment to strengthening the long standing bilateral ties between the two countries.

And noted the embassy will boost tourism and trade in Maldives and have an overall positive impact on the Maldivian economy.

Maldivians who travel to UK currently need to obtain their visas from the UK embassy in Sri Lanka.

The UK embassy in Maldives will be the first embassy of a European country in Maldives.