EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON MALDIVES: LETTER

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001550

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA/INS, S/ES-CR, S/ES-O
NSC FOR DORMANDY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OPDC MV
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON MALDIVES: LETTER
FROM MALDIVIAN FM TO SECRETARY POWELL

REF: COLOMBO 1549 AND PREVIOUS


1. On September 17, Mission received a diplomatic note from
the Maldivian MFA containing a letter to Secretary Powell
from Maldivian Foreign Minister Fathulla Jameel. The text of
the letter is contained below:

Begin Text:

His Excellency Mr. Colin Powell
Secretary of State

SIPDIS
United States of America

Excellency,

I deeply regret that the European Parliament has chosen to
pass a resolution on the Maldives earlier today.

This is more so regrettable given that, my Deputy Minister
has sent a letter to Your Excellency and Members of the
European Parliament, as soon as we came to know that the
European Parliament had tabled the resolution, inviting the
EP to send a delegation to the Maldives to witness the
situation and make their own assessments before the said
resolution is adopted. We gave the assurances that the
Government of Maldives would provide full access to whoever
they wish to meet and inspect whatever places they wish to
visit. Despite this, it is unfortunate that rather than
seizing the opportunity, the European Parliament had
proceeded and adopted the resolution which contains a number
of discrepancies between the text and events as they had
taken place.

Now that the resolution has been adopted, I have requested
the member countries of the European Union to exercise
careful judgment and refrain from taking any bilateral action
which may hinder the development process of the Maldives and
the reform programme already initiated by the Government of
Maldives. I have also conveyed our hope that the European
Parliament and the European Union would consider the offer to
visit the Maldives to assess the ground reality in the
Maldives. The Government of Maldives has expressed its
readiness to continue its dialogue with the Members of the
European Union in the hope of bringing about better
understanding and cooperation between the Maldives and the
Member countries of EU.

The Government of Maldives would like to reassure that it
remains totally committed to the process of democratic and
constitutional reform in the Maldives.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest
consideration.

Fathulla Jameel
Minister of Foreign Affairs

End Text.


2. The original letter will be forwarded once it is received.
LUNSTEAD