A water shipment pledged during the visit of a senior Chinese official late last year has now arrived in the Maldives, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released yesterday against the normal protocol.
Under the normal protocol, the government reveals pledges of grant aid from other countries when the pledge is made. However, the statement on Tuesday revealed a pledge made by the Chairman of the Xizang Autonomous Region during a visit in November last year to gift 1,500 tons of water to the Maldives.
The water shipment pledged by the Xizang Chairman has now arrived in the Maldives, the statement said.
"The Maldivian government has decided that this water will be used to provide water supplies as assistance in situations where Maldivian islands face water shortages," the Foreign Ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry statement came after rumors of an expensive brand of mineralized water brought to the country for use at the presidential palace.
The Foreign Ministry statement did not reveal the brand of water gifted by China.
