Inaugural address by Honourable Mohamed Waheed Deen, Vice President of the Republic of Maldives at the Fifth meeting of the SAARC Minister of Interior / Home

بســم اللّـه الرّحمـن الرّحيــم

My very good friend and colleague, the honorable, young, dynamic Home Minister Honourable Jameel, Honourable Ministers of Interior / Home of SAARC countries, Honorable Cabinet Ministers of Maldives, Honorable Secretary General of SAARC Mr Saleem, Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As-salaam Alaikum and a very good morning to you,

First of all a very warm welcome to the Honourable Ministers, and Cabinet Ministers, and Honourable Secretary General of SAARC, ambassadors, foreign delegates and local delegates to the beautiful sunny side of the Maldives. I hope that all of you, especially the delegates from abroad are enjoying the most peaceful side of the Maldives.

It is my pleasure to address the ceremony inaugurating the 5th meeting of SAARC Ministers of Interior and Home. I am certainly very pleased that we are a part of this gathering of wonderful people who are here to promote peace, security and harmony in the SAARC region.

Maldives is very proud to be among the founding members of SAARC, a truly essential frame work of cooperation founded in 1985. The importance of this regional organization is truly evident from the rapid growth in membership and observers. Today its members are eight and observers nine. The most powerful nations in the World such as the US, China and European Union are observers. We are grateful for them.

SAARC has embarked and promoted welfare, economic growth and social progress. It has very obviously created trust among its member countries, thereby respecting each country’s sovereignty, independence, religious belief, and social harmony. SAARC also practices non-interference of each other’s internal affairs and territorial integrity.

Today SAARC is embarking on highlighting one of the most important issues that face all the nations of the World; its security. Security today, internal and external is most important, especially in the high seas. Security of each nation is extremely important for their independence and to remain as a sovereign state.
Therefore this meeting of Ministers of Interior and Home is very crucial at this moment, when the whole world is in turmoil.

I hope the serious threats faced today in the Maldives like piracy, drug smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism and other issues of this nature will be discussed, and solutions found.

Before I conclude, I would like to thank Honorable Ministers, Honorable Secretary General of SAARC, for providing this opportunity to inaugurate this important event.

I believe all delegates will conduct successful deliberations, effective discussions, and pave the way for final decision in today’s meeting.

Before I conclude I would also like to share with Honorable Ministers and the distinguished delegates, some of my thoughts.

I strongly believe that God created all of us, and also God created all different Nationalities in the SAARC region; including different races, religions, beliefs, and ethnic differences. But I also believe that we are all from one race; the human race.

Therefore it is very important, that all of us respect each other, each other’s beliefs, faiths, and our cultures. With the vast cultural differences we should learn to accept each other and always respect our diversity. I strongly believe that this is the way forward for our nations to have the most effective security and development.

I believe that all Nations will prosper, and will develop if we respect each other and work with a common understanding of human development, that will bring all of us together as one family; the family of human race.

And to my folks, and my countrymen, and to the Maldives, you must always remember that we are one family; family of Maldivians. Parties cannot and should not separate us. We were friends yesterday. We were brothers and sisters. We loved and cared for each other. Today we do not even recognize our friends. I wonder, is this our final destiny? Today we are here and tomorrow we are gone.

Please remember on the Day of Judgment, that day we will not be next to our party members.
Therefore, please hold the hands of your friend next to you, and together we’ll build our nation.

Thank you and May God bless our beautiful Maldives.

Thank you.