MALE: Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd has said in an interview to TVM in Copenhagen that president Mohamed Nasheed has played an important role at the climate summit. He represented small island states at the summit and have made a valuable contribution. Mr. Rudd also referred to Nasheed’s statement that we are all Maldivians and said that President Nasheed was very right and if the threats of climate change is not tackled what will happen to
Maldivians will happen to all people in the world.
The Australian PM also played a key role in the climate summit and
participated in BBC’s greatest debate of the world in Copenhagen on
Thursday with President Nasheed and leaders of Mexico, Sweden and
South Africa.
Prime Minister Rudd has a round of bilateral talks with President
Nasheed during the summit and pledged to assist Maldives to counter
climate change threats.
Australia is one of the major partners in the developmental pursuits
of Maldives especially in the area of human resource development.
Many world leaders have praised President Nasheed’s very active role
in the summit. Host country Denmark’s Prime Minister in a news
conference held just after the conclusion of the summit paid tribute
to President Nasheed and described him as the hero of Copenhagen.
Since becoming the first democratically elected President Nasheed
has given prominence to environment protection in his national and
foreign policies. He has also declared Maldives to become carbon
neutral country in 10 years. He has held the first under water
cabinet meeting of the world in October. Nasheed has also been named
top environmentalist of the year by time magazine in September.
