New chapter in Lanka-Maldives ties

Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom arrived in Sri Lanka on a two-day State visit yesterday, signifying a new chapter in the close relationship between the two SAARC nations.

President Gayoom and First Lady Nasrina Gayoom were warmly received at the Bandaranaike International Airport by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. He was then accorded a 21-Gun Salute and a Military Guard of Honour.

The Maldivian President was conferred the highest national honour of Sri Lanka Mithra Vibushana.

This award was conferred on a Foreign Head of State for the first time in Sri Lanka. It was based on the exceptional friendship and solidarity of the Maldivians with the people of Sri Lanka, and in recognition of President Gayoom's contribution to South Asian solidarity and regional cooperation, especially on issues pertaining to the environment.

Following the receipt of the prestigious award at a colourful ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat, President Gayoom said that the award was a fitting tribute to mark the special friendship and solidarity between the two countries and a great honour for the Maldives.

It speaks volumes of the ever-growing friendship and cooperation between the two countries, President Gayoom said.

"It is a lasting symbol of amity and good neighbourliness enjoyed between Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which have been linked by history, language, race and culture for centuries. I look forward to promote and foster further regional cooperation in global environmental issues as climate change, and work together for the betterment of our people.

I also look forward to the 15th SAARC Summit to be held in Sri Lanka," he added. The Maldivian delegation led by President Gayoom held bilateral talks with President Rajapaksa and officials on matters of mutual interest to both countries.

The Maldivian President was briefed on developments in Sri Lanka, including efforts to curb terrorism and find a political solution.

Two important agreements on the Transfer of Prisoners and Visa Waivers for the mutual benefit of both countries were signed at the Presidential Secretariat, by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and his Maldivian counterpart Abdullah Saheed.

Gayoom is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama today.

Source: dailynews.lk

Chairman of Saudi Charity Campaign calls on President

Advisor to the Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of Saudi Charity Campaign, Dr. Saaid Al Arabi Al Harthi called on President Gayoom yesterday morning. The meeting was held at the President’s Office.

Dr. Saaid Al Arabi Al Harthi said that he was visiting the Maldives to gather information on the progress of the post-tsunami recovery programme. He commended the Government’s efforts and assured the President that the Saudi Charity would continue to offer its support and assistance towards the programme.

Highlighting the high priority that the Government attaches to the post-tsunami recovery programme, the President emphasized the urgent need for further donor assistance towards the effort. He thanked the King, the Government and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia for their generous assistance towards the reconstruction of damaged houses in the country.

The Minister of Finance and Treasury, Gasim Ibrahim, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid, the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Mohamed Hussain, the Deputy Minister at the President’s Office, Dr. Hala Hameed and the Coordinator of the Saudi Charity Campaign, Major Mahir Bin Abdrahman Al-Hadray also attended the meeting.

Source: haveeru.com.mv

India allows 17,000T wheat flour exports to Maldives

India has allowed export of 17,000 tonnes of wheat flour to Maldives, an exception from the current prohibition on exports of wheat and wheat products.

The exports will be through state-run MMTC Ltd and State Trading Corporation of India Ltd, Director General of Foreign Trade said in a notification dated Jan. 7, on its Web site.

India is a net wheat importer and doesn't allow export of wheat and wheat products.

Source: in.reuters.com

Boost for Lanka-Maldives ties

Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Shahid who arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday on a two-day official visit, called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.

The discussions with the Sri Lankan leaders centered on a range of bilateral issues including further strengthening of the growing bilateral ties between the two countries.

Further, matters of common interest within the framework of SAARC and 15th SAARC Summit to be held in Sri Lanka also featured in the discussions.

The leaders expressed satisfaction over the rapidly increasing interaction between the two countries, especially since President Rajapaka’s state visit to the Maldives in 2007, which was followed by a number of Ministerial and officials’ level visits between the two countries.

Dr. Abdullah Shahid was appointed as the Foreign Minister in August 2007 and this is his first official visit to Sri Lanka as Foreign Minister.

Source: dailynews.lk

Five new Ambassadors appointed

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Sunday appointed five new Ambassadors. The appointments are as follows;

- Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Anbaree Abdul Sattar, who resides in New Delhi as the Maldivian High Commissioner to India, was appointed as the concurrent Non-resident Ambassador to Afghanistan.

- Hussain Shihab as the Ambassador of the Maldives to Saudi Arabia.

- Dr. Mohamed Asim as the High Commissioner of the Maldives to the United Kingdom.

- Ali Hussain Didi as the High Commissioner of the Maldives to Sri Lanka.

- Abdul Hameed Zakariyya as the Ambassador of the Maldives to Japan.

The ceremony to hand-over the Letters of Appointment was held at the President’s Office.

After the ceremony, the President met with the Ambassadors and congratulated them and spoke about their responsibilities.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid, Minister for Presidential Affairs, Mohamed Hussain and the Deputy Minister at the President’s Office, Dr. Hala Hameed attended the meeting.

Source: Haveeru.com.mv

Malaysia MP quits over sex DVDs

Malaysian Health Minister Chua Soi Lek has announced his resignation after admitting being filmed in a sex video.

The widely circulated recording showed the married father of three having sex with a female friend in a hotel room.

On Tuesday, amid mounting speculation, he shocked the nation by admitting to being the man featured in the DVD.

This is the latest in a series of problems for PM Abdullah Badawi, who is expected to call an election in the coming weeks.

Apology

According to Malaysia's Star newspaper, the DVDs are believed to be CCTV recordings made in a hotel suite. The hotel and the date are reportedly unknown.

Copies were reportedly left at various locations in Mr Chua's home state of Johor, on Saturday "for people to pick up".

Mr Chua made his admission on Tuesday, hours after the Star reported that the DVDs were being widely distributed in Johor, his home state.

"I am the man in the tape," Mr Chua, 60, told reporters. "The girl is a personal friend."

"I would like to emphasise I did not make the tape myself," he added.

"Who [did] this is not important. What is most important is that my family, wife and children have accepted my apology." As health minister, Mr Chua has advocated giving out free condoms to reduce the spread of HIV, in the face of religious opposition.

Source: BBC World

Maldivian President here on 16th of January 2008

His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the President of the Republic of Maldives and Madam Nasreena M.A. Gayoom and the delegation are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on a state visit from 16 to 19 January 2008, stated M.M. Jaffeer, Chief Protocol for Foreign Affairs Ministry this afternoon.

While in the island President Gayoom and his delegation will follow a tight programme in Colombo and the outstations. The main highlight of the programme would be the meeting of President Gayoom and the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The two Heads of State will sign an agreement on ‘Transfer of Prisoners’ at a special meeting. President Gayoom and his delegation are expected to visit Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Sigiriya during their brief stay here, the sources added.

Being members of the SAARC nations Sri Lanka and Maldives have been maintaining cordial relations over a number of years.

Source: Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka

A violent neighbourhood

An idle mind, it has been wisely said, is a devil's workshop. The point can be illustrated in several ways but altogether the best example is to be found in what is happening in South Asia. The region comprises India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan. Almost 1.6 billion people live there. Amazingly, except for Bhutan and the Maldives, every other country has some sort of internal strife, accompanied by enormous violence.

In some places this strife is because of identity issues (Sinhala vs Tamil, Hindu vs Muslim). In others it is because of bad governance, the best example being Nepal but also perhaps Bangladesh and Pakistan. In yet others, it is because of deep-running political divisions (jihadists vs moderates in Pakistan).

These specific reasons aside, the main feature that stands out is the sheer scale of violence and mayhem that goes on, without let. The scale of killings in Jammu and Kashmir, for instance, or on the Pakistan-Afghan border, and of course in the civil war in Sri Lanka, perhaps dwarfs every other country except for Iraq and Sudan.

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto last Thursday is only the latest episode in this bloody opera. The only reason it is different is that it was not some poor citizen who was killed 20 of them did die along with her but no one has bothered to name them but a sort of modern-day princess.

The same thing happens elsewhere in the region. It is only when a VIP gets killed that there is a heads-up. Otherwise, violence has become such an everyday part of life the people just shrug and get on with their lives.

Should governments of the region also carry on as though all this is normal? Shouldn't they be doing a great deal more to improve matters in what is arguably the world's most dangerous region? When the question is posed, the answers come from the law and order and/or security side. That is, every government in the region sees the problem mainly as a policing problem.

While that is no doubt true in an obvious sort of way, such a limited approach does not help to get to the root of the problem, namely, the role played by low economic growth, an average of 6 per cent' and limited employment and business opportunities for ordinary people.

There are simply too many people wandering around with a sense of real or imagined grievance. The ground is so fertile that it has become possible for any half-credible ideological explanation and oriented towards a violent solution to have sufficient appeal. Ask the Naxalites in 160 of India's poorer districts, and you will get the echo.

The economic problems are well known but worth repeating. The manufacturing sector contributes only barely 15 per cent of GDP, whereas it could well be at least twice that. Indeed, in India employment in industry actually declined between 1996 and 2002, which was a period of low growth. In Sri Lanka, far too many firms hire fewer than 15 workers so that they can avoid paying an average of 175 weeks of severance pay.

Even outside of manufacturing, far too many South Asians live in rural areas in abject poverty with no hope of a better life. China has shown how people will accept even the absence of civil liberties if the rulers ensure for them a better physical quality of life, and upward economic mobility.

In South Asia, which has mostly democratic regimes (however imperfect), the opposite is the case and for the poor is at least as unsatisfactory as the Chinese option.

Source: Business Standard

Maldives grants visa on arrival to Macao passport holders

The Republic of Maldives has granted visa on arrival to the passport holders of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), according to a press release issued Friday.

The release from the MSAR Information Bureau said the granting was informed by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Maldives in Hong Kong.

It added that a total of 76 countries and territories have agreed to grant visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to the MSAR passport holders.

Source: Xinhua