Ambassador: Korea stands in solidarity with Maldives in battle against Covid

South Korean ambassador to Maldives, Jeong Woonjin states that South Korea will continue to stand in solidarity with Maldives to successfully combat against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He made the remark in a statement on occasion of South Korea’s National Foundation Day being marked this Sunday.

In his statement, Jeong noted that while South Korea had once been an international aid recipient, it has now become an aid donor itself – underscoring the remarkable growth the country has achieved over the past few decades.

“This achievement wouldn’t have been made possible without international support,” he said.

 Jeong said that South Korea was thankful to the international community, including Maldives, for the support and cooperation extended to the country in the past.

“Now the time has come for Korea to repay by joining the global efforts to assist developing countries,” he said.

Jeong also noted that this year also marks the 54^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Maldives and South Korea.

He said that Maldives and South Korea have come a long way together to form a cordial bilateral partnership, developing a key partnership in the fields of economy, trade and investment over the years.

“As the Korean Ambassador, I envision endless opportunities to build Korea-Maldives relations on many spheres spanning across economic, cultural, Korean language promotion and public health cooperation. I believe that the Maldives is on the path to achieve greater success and economic prosperity in the near future,” he said.

Jeong highlighted on the collaboration between Maldives and South Korea to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that South Korea has donated COVID-19 test kits to Maldives, and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to assisting Maldives overcome the pandemic.

“We have strengthened the public health cooperation between our countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jeong. “The Republic of Korea will stand in solidarity with the Maldives to successfully combat the battle against COVID-19.”

He also commended the resilience of Maldives’ tourism industry amid the ongoing pandemic.

“The Republic of Maldives has emerged as one of the tourism industry’s biggest success stories amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as it greatly contributes to the economic advancement of the Maldives. I appreciate the government of Maldives for its steadfast commitment and timely decisions to revive the economy,” he said.

Jeong noted that Maldives is one of the top tourist destinations among South Korean travelers, and said he hopes to see more people to people exchanges in the future - which would contribute to betterment of both economies.

“While our level of cooperation today is unprecedented, there is always more progress to be made. As the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea I reaffirm my commitment to continued cooperation in advancing interests of mutual concerns,” he said.

Jeong presented his credentials to Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih last September.