President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih awarded the Most Distinguished Foreign Service Medal to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel, and the Foreign Secretary, Ahmed Latheef, at an official ceremony held on Monday at the President’s Office.
The President conferred a medal, a plaque, and a certificate to the recipients as the Most Distinguished Foreign Service Medal. These two individuals are stepping down after serving an extensive period in the Foreign Service.
Award: Most Distinguished Foreign Service Medal
Service Duration: Over 41 years
Foreign Service Enlistment: December 22, 1981
Initial Role: English Secretary, Department of Immigration and Emigration
UN Mission: Over 17 years at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Ambassadorship: Served as the Ambassador to Japan for seven years
Other appointments: Secretary, Bilateral (October 3, 2016); Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (November 22, 2018)
Award: Most Distinguished Foreign Service Medal
Foreign Service Enlistment: November 26, 1981
Initial Role: Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of External Affairs
Additional Roles: Director General, Assistant Executive Director, and Executive Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives’ Director of the SAARC Secretariat
Ambassadorship: Deputy High Commissioner to India, First Maldivian Ambassador to China; Maldivian Ambassador to Germany
The President decided to confer the Most Distinguished Foreign Service Medal on these two individuals in recognition of their efforts to uphold the nation's highest interests, strengthen ties between the Maldives and other countries and international organisations, and acknowledge their role in the assistance and cooperation received by various associations and organisations in the Maldives, as well as the foreign service-related assistance they gave to the citizens of the Maldives and the work they do to develop the foreign service in the country further.