President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih returned to Malé on Monday morning after concluding his official visit to the Republic of Rwanda. The President, accompanied by First Lady Fazna Ahmed and a high-level delegation, was in Kigali, Rwanda, to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

CHOGM 2022, held under the theme "Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming," was the first Commonwealth leaders’ meeting held since the Maldives’ re-accession to the bloc on February 1, 2020. It brought together delegates from 54 nations seeking to strengthen multilateral cooperation, explore new opportunities, and address mutual challenges facing future generations. The meeting was held from June 20–25, 2022.

In Kigali, the President attended the official opening ceremony and executive sessions of the meeting, which featured discussions on collaborating on an array of topics ranging from trade, health, and climate. On the sidelines, the President met with the Prime Minister of Mauritius and the Minister of External Affairs of India to strengthen bilateral relations with those countries.

President Solih’s attendance at CHOGM cements his administration’s continued commitment to cooperate with the international community on shared goals such as democracy, peace, and prosperity. It was the first CHOGM to be held after a two-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Commonwealth comprises 54 countries, representing 2.5 million people, of which 25 are small island developing states.