A joint communiqué has been issued on the occasion of the visit paid by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Deputy Premier and the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the Republic of the Maldives, as follows: "In response to a noble invitation of his Excellency Abdullah Yameen Abdulqayum, the President of the Republic of the Maldives, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Deputy Premier and the Minister of Defense, paid an official visit to the Republic of the Maldives on 28/04/1435 AH corresponding to 28/02/2014. His Excellency the President received Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at Ibrahim Nasser International Airport and held a luncheon banquet in his honor. The Crown Prince met, also, with the former president of the Republic of the Maldives Mammon Abdulqayum, whom in his term of presidency, the diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of the Maldives have been established. Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz held, during the visit, talks with the President of the Republic, in a friendly and fraternal atmosphere, which embodied the closely intimate relations binding the two countries. The Crown Prince conveyed greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to his Excellency President Abdullah Yameen Abdulqayum. The Crown Prince congratulated the President and the Maldives' people on the success of the presidential elections. The two sides emphasized the significance of their bilateral existing cooperation, through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and reaffirmed the bonds of existing fraternity between the two countries as its pillar is Islam, the religion of moderation and tolerance. They confirmed commitment to fight extremism and terrorism, in all forms and features, and the importance of security-wise bilateral cooperation, in the domain of combating maritime piracy, crimes related to narcotics' merchandise and laundry. -- more 22:52 LOCAL TIME 19:52 GMT تغريد
