Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

The UK is disappointed that the Maldives Government has decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth.

We believe in the Commonwealth and its commitment to improving the lives of people across all its member states. The Commonwealth is an organisation dedicated to developing free and democratic societies, and to promoting peace and prosperity. And we regret that the Maldives has chosen to leave.

We will continue to work with the Maldives Government to help strengthen democracy, particularly freedom of speech and the media and independence of the judiciary. The stability of the country must be central to what happens next.

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