Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohamed Asim in his capacity as a Special Envoy of the President of Maldives, called on the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena Friday in Colombo.

Dr. Asim conveyed sincere sympathies of the Government and the People of Maldives to the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, especially to those directly affected by the flooding and landslides caused by the heavy rains. He also praised the quick action in assisting the people affected by the disaster and expressed hope in the success of every relief and recovery efforts.

Sri Lankan President thanked the Government of Maldives for the assistance provided and the two discussed on how to promote the existing relations between the two nations.

A total of 194 had perished in the floods. This was the worst flooding the nation had experienced in 14 years, with officials expecting the number of fatalities to increase in the coming days.

The international community had provided assistance to Sri Lanka, with Indian Navy’s INS Kirch providing emergency relief supplies, medication and food from Saturday onward.