“Cowardly acts of aggression will not undermine our determination to maintain a peaceful and harmonious society”: Minister Shahid
30 September 2007
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdulla Shahid has strongly condemned Saturday’s detonation of an improvised explosive device in Sultan Park, located in the commercial area of Male’.
“The Government of Maldives has always strongly condemned acts of aggression and terror wherever they take place. Saturday’s attack has demonstrated that no State, not even the Maldives which is renowned as a peace-loving and tranquil country, is immune from the scourge of terrorism. All Maldivians are shocked and saddened by this attack against innocent people who wanted nothing more than to visit our beautiful islands. However, our shock is matched by a certainty that such cowardly acts of aggression will not undermine our determination to maintain a peaceful and harmonious society”.
Speaking to the British High Commissioner, and the Chinese and Japanese Ambassadors via telephone from New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly, Minister Shahid extended his heartfelt sympathies to the injured tourists, to their families and friends, and to the Governments of effected countries. The British High Commissioner, and the Chinese and Japanese Ambassadors expressed their Governments’ condemnation of this criminal act, and extended their Government’s full support to the ongoing criminal investigation. The High Commissioner and the Ambassadors also recognized the efforts of the Government of Maldives to provide regularly updated information on the injured tourists and thanked the Government for the speedy manner in which the injured were given care and medical attention.
The Indian High Commissioner and the US Ambassador have also contacted the Minister condemning the attack on behalf of their respective Governments.
