On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Maldives as they celebrate the anniversary of their country's independence on July 26.
We value our partnership and the integral role Maldives plays in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The United States supports Maldives' sustainable economic development, initiatives to combat the climate crisis, and enhancement of maritime security capabilities. The past year has brought significant milestones for our partnership, including the arrival of our first U.S. Ambassador to Maldives, the opening of our Embassy in Male, Foreign Minister Zameer's recent visit to Washington, and Deputy Secretary Verma's visit to Maldives.
I extend warm wishes to all people of Maldives on this special day. I look forward to further enhancing the partnership and people-to-people ties between our two countries in the year ahead. Together, we can realize our shared vision of a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous region.
