Maldives becomes 54th member of Commonwealth of Nations

The Maldives has once again become a member of the Commonwealth of nations.President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the announcement on February 1, 2020. The Commonwealth welcomed its 54th family member after Maldives’ application for re-admission was approved.The Maldives first became a member of the Commonwealth in 1982 but former President Abdulla Yameen decided to leave it in October 2016, amid mounting pressure from the group over corruption and deteriorating human rights. President Solih’s cabinet passed to rejoin the organization, shortly after assuming office in November 2018. With Maldives’ reinstatement into the Commonwealth, the country’s flag will be raised at Marlborough House, the Common Secretariat, on the 6th of this month.

The country will now be part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda on June 22-28 2020.

Its Ambassador to the UK now becomes its High Commissioner, signifying Commonwealth membership.

Maldives

• Maldives officially the Republic of Maldives, is a small island nation in South Asia, located in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean.
• It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from the Asian continent.
• The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south. Comprising a territory spanning roughly 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi), the Maldives is one of the world’s most geographically dispersed sovereign states as well as the smallest Asian country by land area and population, with around 515,696 inhabitants. Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the “King’s Island” for its central location.

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