Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has stated the Maldives will work with the Organization for African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to achieve shared objectives and remain a constructive and reliable partner.

His statement came at the 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the OACPS.

"Today, I stand here proud. Proud that the Maldives has become a full member of the Organization for African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Today is also a historic day. The African nations - our immediate neighbours to the West - have extended their hands and embraced us. Included us in your family - the African family. Our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean and the Pacific have received us," he stated.

Shahid further added that the reason why the Maldives applied to be a full member of the organization was that, as a vulnerable nation, we wanted to move closer to those who were willing to lend us a helping hand. He highlighted that now that the Maldives is part of the organisation, we are ready to engage and contribute.

"We did not become a member just to reap its benefits. We are ready to share our experiences. We have a compelling story. One that elevated us from being the 6th poorest country in the world at independence in 1965, to just the third country to graduate towards becoming a Middle-Income Country in 2011. And one that continues to steer us through the dire global economic situation, despite our inherent vulnerabilities," Shahid noted.

He further shared his hopes that the OACPS would play a leading role in finding solutions to our shared challenges.