Maldives’ Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dr. Farah Faizal has expressed gratitude for UK’s continued support in the work to rejoin the Commonwealth.

She did so during a meeting with the Minister of State for the Commonwealth, the United Nations and South Asia, Lord Tariq Ahmed of Wimbledon, on Tuesday.

Lord Ahmad had, back in July, said that the UK government “hopes” that the country’s application to rejoin the organization, which it left in 2016, will be processed in time for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2020 next June.

Maldives has applied fast track re-admittance to the Commonwealth; rejoining the organization is one of the key pledges of the President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih administration, which took office last November.

Other areas of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting, as well on ways to further cooperation.

As such, Ambassador Farah and Lord Ahmad spoke on fostering cooperation on climate change ahead of COP26 to be held in the UK next November, as well as on democracy and security.

Ambassador Farah also expressed concern over Maldivian fish exports being taxed in the UK under European Union regulations, and highlighted the need “to discuss a bilateral agreement following Britain’s exit from the EU.”

In a tweet posted after the meeting, the UK minister noted that the UK-Maldives relationship “is growing stronger” and highlighted plans for the UK to embassy in the archipelago nation.

UK’s new ambassador to Maldives, and its first-ever resident one, presented her credentials to the president on October 30.