President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu appealed today for Chinese assistance in rebuilding Malé's commercial port and developing the Velana International Airport (VIA) in line with a new plan announced last week.
Speaking at the Invest Maldives Forum organized by the Economic Development Ministry in Fuzhou, China, he said the VIA development and port projects were the government's top priorities and fits with China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
"The government is keen for exploring and taking partnerships for these projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," Muizzu told participants of the investor forum.
The BRI is a strategy set by China in 2013 to develop infrastructure in more than 150 countries.
Speaking at a panel discussion during the forum, Construction and Infrastructure Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib said the government wanted to begin the development of Malé's commercial harbor at a new location as soon as possible. A large project has also been planned to redevelop Malé's roads, he said.
"The government is looking to carry out these projects under contractor finance or other innovative financial models," Muththalib said.
Separate meetings will take place at the investment forum between officials of the two governments and businesspersons from the two countries, the President's Office said.
