MALE: The Maldivian Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Mohamed Latheef, has called on the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, Richard Armitage, to deliver a letter from Gayoom to US President George W. Bush. The meeting was held last Wednesday (Sept 1) in Washington.

During the meeting, Latheef briefed Armitage on recent political developments in the Maldives. He noted that Gayoom was determined to push through his 9 June reform agenda for greater democracy in spite of attempts to derail the process.

Armitage said that the US government was concerned on hearing of the incident in Male on 12th and 13th of August. He thanked Gayoom, on behalf of his government, for sending a Special Envoy to brief them on the facts surrounding the incident.

Armitage said that the United States welcomed Gayoom’s constitutional reform agenda, and that they supported his commitment to usher in full democracy to the Maldives.

Armitage pointed out that the Maldives and the US enjoyed strong relations based on friendship and understanding, and that the United States greatly respected these relations. He also conveyed sincere felicitations to Gayoom, on behalf of Bush, for the solidarity and support that the Maldives displays in every major incident that affects the United States.

Courtesy Haveeru