News Desk
In a historic move, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef has visited Iran, marking the first such visit in recent history. Latheef arrived in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s newly elected President, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, acting as a special representative for President Dr. Mohammed Muizzu.
The Vice President was greeted at the airport by Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Vice President of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly. This visit highlights a notable warming of relations between the Maldives and Iran, which had previously severed political ties on May 17, 2016, due to external pressures. Diplomatic relations were restored on March 10, 2023, after originally being established on June 2, 1975.
Latheef’s attendance at the ceremony is part of a larger assembly of international representatives. The event will see the participation of high-level delegations, including presidents and prime ministers from countries such as Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Central Africa, Pakistan, Syria, Serbia, Cuba, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Guinea-Bissau.
Additionally, speakers of parliaments from nations like Russia, Algeria, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Comoros, Mali, Sri Lanka, Senegal, and North Korea are expected to attend. Vice presidents and deputy prime ministers from the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, and Gabon will also be present.
Foreign ministers from Tanzania, Niger, Venezuela, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Bolivia, Kuwait, Mauritania, Myanmar, Congo, Gambia, and Eritrea will participate, alongside ministers or ambassadors from India, Nicaragua, Niger, Ghana, Bulgaria, Iceland, Tunisia, Hungary, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Malta, and Sierra Leone.
This visit represents a pivotal moment for the Maldives, signaling a renewed diplomatic engagement with Iran and a broader international community. The occasion is seen as an opportunity to foster further diplomatic and economic cooperation between the Maldives and Iran, amidst a complex geopolitical landscape.
