Maldives reopens embassy in US

Maldives on Friday reopened its embassy in the United States. 

Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid opened the embassy in Washington. The US Assistant Secretary Donald also attended the event, where he spoke about deepening ties with the important Indo-Pacific partner.

Maldivian ambassador to the US Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, the first US-specific resident Maldivian diplomatic posting, presented his letter of credence to US President Joe Biden in December. 

After independence in 1965, the Maldives opened an embassy in Washington, but later closed it due to budget constraints. The embassy was reopened in 2007, but again was shut in 2008 due to cost-cutting measured adopted by the then Maldivian government. 

Maldives' permanent representative to the UN, which has its headquarters in New York, has so far carried out the additional posting of the Maldives' ambassador to the US.

The US is also working on opening its first resident embassy in Maldives this year.

Meanwhile, Shahid met the Secretary of State of the United States Antony Blinken on Friday, marking a pivotal moment in the bilateral relationship between the two countries.