Internet a fundamental right in Maldives says President Nasheed

Access to Internet is a fundamental right in the Maldives, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Indian Ocean archipalago said on Tuesday. During Nasheed's meeting with Finland's President Tarja Halonen at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Nasheed said the Maldives was the only country in the world which has declared Internet as a fundamental right.

Nasheed, a former Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, became the President after a landmark election in 2008 that ushered democracy to the small island nation.

During Nasheed's meeting with his Finnish counterpart he said the Maldives was ready to transfer knowledge and technology to Finland. Nasheed updated Halonen on the high-tech companies operating in the internet sector in the Maldives and gave details of the recent acquiring of the majority shares of the Maldives telecom company Dhiraagu by Cable & Wireless of the United Kingdom.

In the meeting, Halonen expressed her eagerness to learn from the experience of the Maldives in making internet a fundamental right for everybody and said she was keen to invite companies such as Dhiraagu and Cable & Wireless to invest in Finland.