President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has conveyed his congratulations to Friedrich Merz on his election as the new chancellor of Germany.

In a statement shared on X, President Dr Muizzu affirmed the Maldives' appreciation of the close and friendly relations between the two nations and expressed hopes for strengthened bilateral cooperation and progress on shared global objectives during Merz’s tenure.

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was formally elected on Tuesday following a second round of voting in the Bundestag.

His failure to secure an absolute majority in the initial round marked a significant historical moment, as no post-war candidate for chancellor had previously fallen short in the first ballot.

Ultimately, Merz secured the required number of votes, becoming Germany’s 10th chancellor since the end of the Second World War.