PM initiates close Sri Lanka-Maldives ties in health industry, services, investments
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is on a three day official visit to the Maldives yesterday said that organ transplants and other health services for Maldivians will be allowed in Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister said that Sri Lanka will also cooperate with the Government of Maldives in establishing an institution to make Sri Lankan specialist personnel available in the Maldives itself.
“We are looking at a bigger arrangement where we togethwer with Maldives government will cooperate in establishing institution to make personnel available here in the Maldives”, he said.
The Prime Minister was addressing the media with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih following bilateral discussions at the President’s House in Male.
Wickremesinghe also said that visa arrangements between Sri Lanka and the Maldives have been liberalised allowing more students and people from the Maldives to come to Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka is your second home and we certainly would not like to see unncessary travel restrictions on the people of the Maldives. We are virtually neighbours giving out to each other,” he said. The Prime Minister said the Sri Lankan governemnt will strive to improve the higher educaiton opportunities for Maldivian students in Sri Lanka while exploring the possibility of establishing a higher education instituion in the Maldives.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe added that his government is ready to assist the Maldives to build a higher education institute in the Maldives.
“Both our countries are high in terms of GDP but we still face many problems.
There are many ways that we can work together. Our experiences will help for the development of the Maldives,” he said. He said that both of them (the Prime Minister and Maldivian President) decided to review bilateral cooperation in all areas and seek the possibiliy of formal arrangements in other areas
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe thanked the government of Maldivies for extending support to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Easter Sunday attacks.
“Maldivians were the first to come to help. Members of Parliament in the Maldives visited us soon after the Easter Sunday tragedy,” the Prime Minister said.
“Terror is a threat to all of us and and we shall work together in combating it,” Prime Minister Wickremesinghe added.
(Source: Daily News – By Chaminda Perera)
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This is a very short-sighted policy which will only benefit Maldives; NOT SRI LANKA!
Sending personnel there depletes our much needed expertise here.
Our health and education system is struggling to sustain our own people.
E.g. Drug shortages, limited university places.
Now our foolish PM has given unlimited access to more outsiders, including a 90 day visa.
Moreover, their islands are sinking.
They are looking for another home, but this should not be Sri Lanka.
Establishing Maldivians here will change our demographics, culture, values and way of life.
E.g. Maldives used to be a Buddhist country.
Now, even a Buddhist book is confiscated at Maldives customs. Buddhist artefacts in their museum were destroyed.
This culture of zero tolerance to non-Islamist culture will clash in our more tolerant society.
This open door policy will be detrimental to Sri Lankans. Sadly, our PM seems hellbent on ruining our country until the day he leaves office!
UK chose Brexit for a reason.
They were fed up of open borders and a drain on their resources from neighbouring countries!
Why should we repeat history?
We need to improve the quality of Sri Lankan lives FIRST and FOREMOST!