As stated by Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma visited Malé on February 22 to advance goals within the U.S-Maldives relationship. His meeting with Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer sought to advance shared priorities in increasing economic cooperation, promoting maritime security, and boosting people-to-people ties. Deputy Secretary Verma and Foreign Minister Zameer discussed plans for the United States to provide $8 million in funding for four patrol boats to the Maldives, which will help Maldives monitor its waters and deter malign influence by state and non-state actors and other threats to Maldives' sovereignty.
In these meetings, and a joint meeting with Foreign Minister Zameer, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Saeed, Minister of Defense Maumoon, Minister of Homeland Security Ihusaan, Minister of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy Ibrahim, and Minister of Fisheries Shiyam, the Deputy Secretary also highlighted opportunities for the United States and Maldives to expand bilateral cooperation and people-to-people ties through the opening of a new U.S. Embassy in Maldives and re-opening of Maldives' Embassy in Washington, D.C.
