Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid during his United Nations General Assembly speech on Tuesday thanked India for the $250 million budgetary support to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I thank all our partners who have generously extended financial, material and technical support during this crisis, even when they themselves are going through challenging times," the Maldives foreign minister said.

&nbsp;"One such example is India. The recent budget support of 250 million US dollars, was the single largest financial assistance from a donor during this pandemic," he added.

Earlier this month, India had formally extended the $250 budgetary support or loan at a ceremony in Maldivian capital Malé in the presence of Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid, finance minister Ibrahim Ameer, Indian High Commissioner Sunjay Sudhir and CEO of SBI in Male, Bharat Mishra.&nbsp;

Maldives is the only country to which India has provided such assistance to deal with the COVID-19 economic impact. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, India has reached out to the Maldives in a number of ways including by sending a rapid response team, a consignment of 5.5 tons of essential medicines, followed by more consignments and 580 tons of food aid including foodgrains, onions, etc in May.&nbsp;

Maldives FM highlighted how COVID-19 impacted his country as "a vibrant and thriving nation - our lives, came to a standstill, almost overnight. With no tourists, revenue declined, and debt increased. The economy is set to contract – for the first time in a decade."

The Indian ocean country has constituted a National Taskforce on Response and Recovery and it will focus on post-COVID-19 action plan.

Maldives FM also called for "meaningful action" for the protection of our ocean. He said,"millions of people rely on the ocean and its bounty, for their survival. For Maldivians, as custodians of over 90,000 sqkm of the Indian Ocean, it is part of our identity, our way of life, our economy."

The country has committed to the protection of 20 per cent of its waters and is also committed to working with the Global Ocean Alliance towards achieving the global target of protecting 30% of the ocean in the coming years. Maldives President Ibrahim Solih last year at United Nations General Assembly announced to phase out single-use plastics by 2023.

Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid during his United Nations General Assembly speech on Tuesday thanked India for the $250 million budgetary support to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid during his United Nations General Assembly speech on Tuesday thanked India for the $250 million budgetary support to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. "I thank all our partners who have generously extended financial, material and technical support during this crisis, even when they themselves are going through challenging times," the Maldives foreign minister said. "One such example is India. The recent budget support of 250 million US dollars, was the single largest financial assistance from a donor during this pandemic," he added. Earlier this month, India had formally extended the $250 budgetary support or loan at a ceremony in Maldivian capital Malé in the presence of Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid, finance minister Ibrahim Ameer, Indian High Commissioner Sunjay Sudhir and CEO of SBI in Male, Bharat Mishra. Maldives is the only country to which India has provided such assistance to deal with the COVID-19 economic impact. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, India has reached out to the Maldives in a number of ways including by sending a rapid response team, a consignment of 5.5 tons of essential medicines, followed by more consignments and 580 tons of food aid including foodgrains, onions, etc in May. Maldives FM highlighted how COVID-19 impacted his country as "a vibrant and thriving nation - our lives, came to a standstill, almost overnight. With no tourists, revenue declined, and debt increased. The economy is set to contract – for the first time in a decade." The Indian ocean country has constituted a National Taskforce on Response and Recovery and it will focus on post-COVID-19 action plan. Maldives FM also called for "meaningful action" for the protection of our ocean. He said,"millions of people rely on the ocean and its bounty, for their survival. For Maldivians, as custodians of over 90,000 sqkm of the Indian Ocean, it is part of our identity, our way of life, our economy." The country has committed to the protection of 20 per cent of its waters and is also committed to working with the Global Ocean Alliance towards achieving the global target of protecting 30% of the ocean in the coming years. Maldives President Ibrahim Solih last year at United Nations General Assembly announced to phase out single-use plastics by 2023.

During UNGA speech, Maldives FM Abdulla Shahid thanks India for $250 million support amid COVID-19

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Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday reiterated that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's statement at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was a "campaign speech", adding that Swaraj was busy sloganeering for her party at the UN.

Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said, "The Foreign Minister of India stands on UN General Assembly platform and delivers a speech that is not even aimed at the audience of international diplomats. She speaks in Hindi on a BJP campaigned theme to her voters back home rather than to an international audience. She mentioned Narendra Modi ten times and India only five times."

"She gives one BJP slogan one after the other or one scheme after the other about the Prime Minister's great vision for the nation as if she is seeking. There's nobody sitting in the UN General Assembly who is going to vote for her. These were all pitched at the audience back in India," he added.

The BJP, in retaliation to Tharoor's remark on Swaraj, had on Monday accused the former of singing in the same tune as Pakistan. The party also said that it is becoming increasingly clear that both Congress and Pakistan are "talking in the same tone."

In response to the BJP, Tharoor said "I find it quite amusing that the BJP would dare to criticise me for pointing out the obvious. I put it in very mild terms that I am disappointed that she used the UN General Assembly platform for a campaign speech to advance the interest of her party. What the foreign minister has done is truly disappointing for any patriotic Indian who wants to see the interest of the Indian nation projected abroad and not of one particular political party."

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday reiterated that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's statement at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was a "campaign speech", adding that Swaraj was busy sloganeering for her party at the UN.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday reiterated that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's statement at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was a "campaign speech", adding that Swaraj was busy sloganeering for her party at the UN. Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said, "The Foreign Minister of India stands on UN General Assembly platform and delivers a speech that is not even aimed at the audience of international diplomats. She speaks in Hindi on a BJP campaigned theme to her voters back home rather than to an international audience. She mentioned Narendra Modi ten times and India only five times." "She gives one BJP slogan one after the other or one scheme after the other about the Prime Minister's great vision for the nation as if she is seeking. There's nobody sitting in the UN General Assembly who is going to vote for her. These were all pitched at the audience back in India," he added. The BJP, in retaliation to Tharoor's remark on Swaraj, had on Monday accused the former of singing in the same tune as Pakistan. The party also said that it is becoming increasingly clear that both Congress and Pakistan are "talking in the same tone." In response to the BJP, Tharoor said "I find it quite amusing that the BJP would dare to criticise me for pointing out the obvious. I put it in very mild terms that I am disappointed that she used the UN General Assembly platform for a campaign speech to advance the interest of her party. What the foreign minister has done is truly disappointing for any patriotic Indian who wants to see the interest of the Indian nation projected abroad and not of one particular political party."

Swaraj's UNGA speech was a political campaign: Shashi Tharoor

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