Islamic Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has met with Dave Williams, the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in the Maldives.
Shaheem stated on X that it was a great pleasure to welcome the head of the U.S. Embassy to the Ministry. He further expressed his hope to strengthen bilateral relations and continue engaging in constructive dialogue.
This meeting follows more than a year after the United States government denied Shaheem an entry visa.
At that time, Shaheem was scheduled to travel to the United States to attend a conference held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. However, the U.S. government decided to withhold the visa without providing an official reason.
This remains the only known instance in Maldivian history where a sitting cabinet minister was denied a U.S. visa.
