President invited to economic forum

The secretary general of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) has invited President Mohamed Nasheed to attend the forum’s sixth meeting.

The invitation requests the president deliver a keynote address for the special session on climate change

The forum will be opened by Dato Sri Najob Tun Abdul Razak, prime minister of Malaysia and patron of the WIEF foundation.

WIEF are scheduled in meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May 2010.

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Maldives airports support fight against global warming

The Maldives Airports Company has pledged its support for the government’s efforts to combat global warming, with Mohamed Ibrahim presenting a letter to President Mohamed Nasheed outlining the measures the company is taking to reduce its carbon footprint.

Ibrahim said the company hoped to actively contribute to the government’s environmental initiatives.

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Pakistan keen to invest in Maldives

Pakistan is seeking to improve its economic relationship with the Maldives, according to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), promising to meet the country’s import needs “at a cheaper price than European countries.”

President of the ICCI Zahid Maqbool said the current bilateral trade agreement between the two countries “is not worth mentioning”, and pressed for a regular exchange of trade delegations.

He requested that Pakistani exporters be allowed to set up in the Maldives, and also claimed that Pakistan offered quality higher education at a lower cost than other countries.

High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives, Aishath Shehnaz Adam, said the Maldives would welcome Pakistani investment in the Maldives. The economy was a strong one, she said, and had grown an average of 10 per cent every year for the past two decades.

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President departs for Copenhagen

President Mohamed Nasheed left for Copenhagen yesterday to attend the landmark UN climate change conference (COP15).

Addressing press before his departure, Nasheed said it was important for the world to listen to countries such as the Maldives, which were vulnerable to climate change.

He said that he believed the Maldives would play a significant part in the negotiations, adding that delegates planned to propose a survival kit for the world.

During his visit, the president is scheduled to attend a number of high-level meetings and meet senior government officials and climate experts, including the Danish prime minister, the Australian prime minister, and former US vice president Al Gore.

The president’s entourage included Presidential Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, MP Eva Abdulla, MP Visam Ali, State Minister for Transport Adam Maniku, State Minister for Health Abdul Bari Abdulla, Envoy for Science and Technology Ahmed Moosa and Executive Service Secretary Mohamed Ziyad.

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Maldivian woman gets degree in aeronautical science

A Maldivian woman, Hiyam Afeef, has become the first woman in the Maldives to receive a degree in aeronautical science, Miadhu reports.

Hiyam graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical university in the US, which is one of the most prestigious establishments specialising in aviation and aerospace.

“There are not a lot of airports [in the Maldives]. The main transportation is boats and planes. I want to start by flying seaplanes, but eventually I want to fly internationally,” said Hiyam in an interview given to her university.

But, she added, her true interests lay in aviation safety.

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Maldives to host international seafood day

The government will hold an international seafood day next year to highlight the Maldivian fisheries sector, President Mohamed Nasheed announced on Fisherman’s Day last week.

Speaking at a function on the island of Ihavandhoo in Thiladhunmathi atoll, the president also announced the sector would be opened up to private investment, particularly aquaculture.

The sector had been badly affected by the ailing economy, rising fuel prices and declining catches during the past year, Nasheed said.

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“Maldives not a nation of beggars”: Aslam

The Maldives must not become a nation of beggars, Minister for Housing, Transport and Environment Mohamed Aslam told reporters at the COP15 in Copenhagen.

Aslam said developed countries needed to take responsibility for climate change, but other nations should also contribute.

He said the answer lay in less developed nations finding different paths of development to those of alrerady developed countries, and claimed the Maldives’ decision to become carbon neutral in 10 years was one such example.

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Accident leaves two critically injured

A collision involving two motorcycles in Gaaf Alif atoll Gemanafushi on Friday left four people injured, two of them in a critical condition, Miadhu reports.

Abdullah Muhthaar, 22, and Ali Ahthar, 18, both from Gemanafushi, were taken to the regional hospital yesterday, but Ahthar was brought to Male’ after doctors discovered he had a brain haemorrage.

The accident is under investigation by the Maldives Police Service.

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