Parliament approves non-resident ambassadors to Russia, Morocco

The Parliament on Monday approved Maldivian ambassadors nominated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu for dual roles as non-resident ambassadors to Russia and Morocco.

In a letter last week, President Muizzu asked the Parliament to approve:

• Ambassador of Maldives to Türkiye, former of Chief of Defense Force Lieutenant General (Retired) Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef as Non-Resident Ambassador of Maldives to Russia
• Ambassador of Maldives to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Sareer as Non-Resident Ambassador of Maldives to Morocco

The Parliament took the floor vote on the appointments on Monday morning.

Abdul Raheem received approval with a unanimous vote of 65, while Sareer received a unanimous vote of 64.

Abdul Raheem, who served as the Vice Chief of Defense Force during the last administration was promoted to Chief of Defense Force after President Muizzu assumed office on November 17, 2023.

However, he retired from military service after 39 years when he turned 60 - the maximum age allowed under the law to remain in military service.

Meanwhile, Sareer is a career diplomat and has previously served as the Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations, as well as an ambassador to various nations.