President Ibrahim M. Solih expressed his gratitude to Sri Lankan government and political leaders for the assistance in drawing the attention of the international community to the five years of cruelty in Maldives.

The President said this while addressing Maldivian nationals residing in Sri Lanka. President Solih is currently on his ongoing visit to Sri Lanka for the occasion of the country’s 71st Independence Day on the invitation by the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena. The President is to be the guest of honor at Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations.

The President said in his address that various Maldivians had been attempting to establish a multi party democracy in Maldives in the year 2000. He noted that it had been the neighboring country of Sri Lanka that had offered protection to the, then oppositions leaders in all the challenges faced by the effort.

As such, the President also noted that various political leaders who stood up against the recent cruelty of the administration within the past five years had to travel the same journey. He said that even in this time, it was the Sri Lankan government and political leaders that came to the aid of Maldives. Referring to this, the President expressed his immense gratitude to the government and political leaders of Sri Lanka.