President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom has expressed his desire to see more Irish investors in the Maldives.

He made the statement speaking in the ceremony held to present the credentials of the newly appointed Non-resident Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland Brian McElduff.

McElduff, the first Ambassador from Ireland to the Maldives, was welcomed warmly at the ceremony held in President’s Office on Thursday.

Speaking in the call, President noted that the Maldives and Ireland had enjoyed 18 years of bilateral relations, to be marked on 7 December this year. He added that the Government placed high priority on the relationship between the two nations and thanked the Irish Government for their continued support.

In the call, President Yameen and the Ambassador talked on the economic agenda, rule of law and areas of collaboration especially in the education field.

The Ambassador noted that Ireland would like to see more Maldivian students seeking education opportunities in Ireland and discussed closer cooperation in the area of aviation.