Nasheed blames govt policies for closure of German consulate

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has expressed concern over the closure of Germany's consulate in the Maldives, attributing the decision to what he described as poor policies pursued by the Maldivian government.

The German government announced on 2 October that its consulate in the Maldives had been closed and advised German nationals requiring consular assistance in emergencies to contact the German Embassy in Sri Lanka.

In a post on X on Tuesday evening, Nasheed criticised the circumstances surrounding the closure, claiming that the Maldivian government had sought to replace the existing honorary consul with a person of its choosing.

He said the German government had not agreed to the proposed change.

Businessman Sanjay Ibrahim Manik had served as Germany's honorary consul in the Maldives since his appointment by the German government in 2019, during the administration of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Nasheed alleged that the closure resulted from the Maldivian government's handling of the honorary consul appointment. The German government's announcement did not provide a reason for the closure.

According to the German Embassy in Colombo, the consulate in the Maldives has been closed indefinitely.

The embassy advised German nationals requiring assistance in emergencies to contact its office in Sri Lanka.

However, it said that because Germany no longer has a consular representative in the Maldives, the embassy would only be able to provide advice and guidance remotely.

The embassy also urged German nationals travelling to the Maldives to take the change into consideration when planning their visits.

The closure means Germany no longer maintains an honorary consular presence in the Maldives, with consular matters now referred to its embassy in Colombo.