The Parliament has approved the appointment of Non-Resident Ambassadors to Russia and Morocco, following a motion submitted by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

The matter, which was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee last week, was brought to a vote during Monday’s parliamentary session.

In the voting process, 65 members voted in favour of appointing Lieutenant General (Rtd) Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef, the Maldivian Ambassador to Türkiye, as the Non-Resident Ambassador to Russia. Meanwhile, 64 members voted to approve Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador Ahmed Sareer as the Non-Resident Ambassador to Morocco.

Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef, who currently serves as the first Resident Maldivian Ambassador to Türkiye, has an extensive 39-year military career. He has held several senior roles in the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), including serving as the Chief of Defence Force.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Sareer has had a distinguished diplomatic career spanning over three decades. Having served in various foreign service roles since 1987, he has held key positions including Maldives’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to Bangladesh. He has also served as Assistant Under Secretary, Assistant Director, and Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition to approving the two Non-Resident Ambassadors, President Dr Muizzu’s motion to appoint Dr Mariyam Shabeena Ahmed, the Maldivian Ambassador to Malaysia, as the Non-Resident Ambassador to the Philippines, was announced during Monday’s parliamentary session and referred to the Foreign Relations Committee for further review.