India donated the most number of Covid-19 vaccines to the Maldives, Solih said

Highlighting the pivotal role played by India in the last 2 years, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has thanked the Indian government for helping the island country endure the Covod-19 pandemic, including by gifting vaccines.

In an address to the public on Sunday, President Solih said, “In last 2 years, India generously aided us on many occasions. India donated the most no. of vaccines. India purchased financial bonds worth $250 million to help recover our economy. We received a lot of equipment from India essential to provide health services.”

"At the same time, a travel corridor was enacted between our countries to ensure continued tourist arrivals," he said during the address in which he announced the lifting of the public health emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"India also eased up access for Maldivians needing urgent health care, allowing them to travel to the country. This privilege was not afforded to any other country besides the Maldives," Solih pointed out during his address.

Besides India, he also thanked Japan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China, Bangladesh, and the World Health Organization (WHO) for their support to the country.

As many as 3,71,439 people in the Maldives are fully vaccinated, official data shows. India gifted 2 lakh doses of Covishield vaccines to the Maldives last year in January-February, while Male purchased another one lakh doses commercially.

Today, more than 90% of the eligible population in the Maldives is vaccinated, enabling its economy to retract on a path to recovery and help mitigate the economic implications of the pandemic on the country’s tourism.

At the same time, a travel corridor was enacted between the two countries to ensure continued tourist arrivals. India also eased up access for Maldivians needing urgent health care, allowing them to travel to the country, said the Maldives President.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Maldives’s ‘India First’ policy work together to tackle mutual concerns and advance common interests.