Foreign Minister begins tour of European capitals

20 September 2007
Report: Soodh

Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, has begun a four-day tour of key European capitals during which he is expected to meet senior officials from the Commonwealth, the UK Government, the Belgian Government, the European Union, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Minister Shahid is expected to use the meetings to raise a range of issues with European stakeholders including democratic reform, human rights, climate change, and development assistance.

The visit began yesterday in London when the Minister met with Mr. Donald McKinnon, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and later with representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Members of Parliament from the Maldives All Party Group.

Mr. Shahid today traveled to Brussels where he will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Mr. Karel De Gucht; the senior officials from the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the South Asia Delegation of the European Parliament. Concluding the Brussels leg, the Foreign Minister will meet with the European Commissioner for External Relations, Ms. Benita Ferrero-Waldner. During these meetings, the Minister is expected to discuss issues including climate change, environmental rights, the Reform Agenda and EU development assistance to the Maldives.

In a final stop before flying to New York for the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Minister will visit Geneva to attend the 6th Session of the Human Rights Council. During the Session he will give a Statement raising the issue of climate change and highlighting its impact on the human rights of people in the Maldives. Minister Shahid will also meet with the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson; the President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Doru Costea; and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Louise Arbour.

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