Senior diplomat Sunjay Sudhir has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to the Maldives. Sudhir, a 1993 batch Indian Foreign Service officer who is presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, is expected to take up the assignment shortly. His appointment comes at a time when the two countries are strengthening ties after a new government came to power in the island nation last year. Meanwhile, the MEA also announced that Vijay Singh Chauhan, presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, Sao Paulo, has been appointed as the Ambassador of India to Burkina Faso. He is also expected to take up the assignment shortly.

Did You Know?

• The Maldives is a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
• The World Bank classifies the Maldives as having an upper middle income economy.
• Fishing has historically been the dominant economic activity, and remains the largest sector by far, followed by the rapidly growing tourism industry.
• Along with Sri Lanka, it is one of only two South Asian countries rated “high” on the Human Development Index, with its per capita income one of the highest among SAARC nations.
• The name “Maldives” may derive from the Tamil words maalai (garland / evening) and theevu (island).
• Capital – Malé
• Official languages – Dhivehi
• Religion – Islam (mandated by law)
• Currency – Maldivian rufiyaa