Maldivian President congratulates US President-elect Biden

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has congratulated Joe Biden, who been elected the 46th president of the United States.

Biden, 77, has won 284 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 electoral votes he needed to defeat incumbent US President Donald Trump.

In a tweet on Saturday night, shortly after Biden was confirmed the winner of the US presidential race, Solih congratulated Biden on his election victory.

“I look forward to working with your administration on issues of mutual concern from global efforts to recover from COVID-19 to responding to the climate emergency,” he said.

Biden has issued a statement saying he is humbled by the victory and it is time for the US to set aside its differences.

“It’s time for America to unite. And to heal,” he said.

However, Trump is refusing to concede defeat, threatening further legal action on ballot counting.

In a combative statement, Trump said he will “not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands.”

Meanwhile, Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, 56, has made history as the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to become US vice president.