Ambassador Blake Attends Inauguration of President Mohamed Nasheed

Maldives, November 11, 2008: Ambassador Blake represented the United States at the inauguration of President Nasheed in Male on November 11th. President Nasheed took office after winning the Maldives first ever multi-party elections earlier in the month. The new president’s inauguration is the culmination of several years of democratic reform efforts in the country.

Ambassador Blake was one of approximately one thousand guests invited to watch President Mohamed Nasheed and Vice President Waheed Hassan Manik take their oaths of office. The occasion was marked with a 21 gun salute and the playing of the national anthem by a military band.

In his inauguration speech, President Nasheed congratulated the Maldivian people on a smooth transition to democracy and noted that it was a historic moment in time: “It is rare certainly in recent times, for a people to achieve democratic transition as smoothly and as peacefully as has been done in the Maldives.”

After the inauguration Ambassador Blake met with President Nasheed and members of his cabinet. The Ambassador congratulated the president on his victory and told him that the U.S. looks forward to working with him and his team to maintain the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The Maldivian president said that the Maldives wishes to continue working with the U.S. on a range of issues including education, youth leadership and security.

United States Congratulates Maldives on Elections

Washington D.C., October 30, 2008: The United States congratulates the people of Maldives on the successful completion of their first multi-party elections. Today's results mark a historic milestone in the transition to political pluralism for Maldives.  This election is the culmination of decades of effort, including four years of work to rewrite the Maldives constitution, introduce a multi-party system, and conduct free and fair elections.  The United States commends President Gayoom for bringing greater prosperity and democracy to the people of Maldives.  We congratulate President-elect Mohamed Nasheed on his victory and look forward to working together to maintain the strong friendship and cooperation between Maldives and the United States. 

Robert Blake, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives and Mr. Mohamed Waheed, Special Advisor to the National Center for Linguistic and Historical Research exchanging documents pertaining to U.S. support for the preservation of Kaashidoo site.

Kaashidhoo archeological excavations being financially supported by United States

Colombo, October 23, 2008: Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Robert Blake, Jr. and the Special Advisor to the National Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research, Mr. Mohamed Waheed, recently launched a U.S. Government-funded program to help preserve the Kashidhoo archaeological site. 

The project, valued at 370,000 Rf., is financed by the 2008 U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation -- a worldwide initiative from the U.S. Department of State to assist countries in preserving their endangered historic sites and arts.  

This site is one of the most historically significant on the island. It is the largest pre-Islamic remnant uncovered on Kaashidhoo; excavations have uncovered parts of a Buddhist Monastery that existed in the 7th and 8th Centuries AD. (more)

Launch of the Democracy Video Challenge

Colombo, October 09, 2008: The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the “Democracy is…” video competition.  Maldivians, age 18 and over, are invited to submit self-made videos less than three minutes in length that complete the phrase “Democracy is…”  In making the videos, you may use any story telling style including, fiction, documentary, comedy, music video or animation. The Embassy and a committee of local filmmakers and film aficionados will select the top three films from the Maldives.  These films will then be submitted for a worldwide competition. (more)

U.S.  Diversity Visa Lottery Now Open
50,000 from around the world will win Green Card

Colombo, October 1, 2008 – The 2010 Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery will be formally declared open in Washington, DC on October 2, 2008.  This program allows randomly selected applicants to immigrate to the United States on an expedited basis, provided they meet all the criteria.  A person may only enter the lottery if he or she has:  1) citizenship of a qualifying country (Sri Lanka and the Maldives both qualify); and 2) either a high school equivalent education (Six GCE O-Levels including compulsory subjects) or work experience within the past five years in a profession that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.  Individuals wishing to participate in the visa lottery are strongly urged to apply early to avoid any possible delays.  50,000 individuals will be selected for the lottery worldwide. (more)