Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu attended a press conference for nearly 15 hours, with his office stating on Sunday that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had set earlier records.
Muizzu, 46, kicked off the lengthy press conference on Saturday at 10 AM (0500 GMT), lasting 14 hours and 54 minutes, which included a brief pause for prayer, according to a statement from his office.
“The session went past midnight, marking the president’s new world record. He consistently fielded questions from journalists,” the statement noted.
Back in October 2019, Ukraine’s National Records Bureau had reported that Zelensky’s 14-hour press conference surpassed the previous record of over seven hours held by Belarusian leader Alexander Kashenko.
The government of the Indian Ocean archipelago mentioned that Muizzu’s extended session correlated with World Reporters’ Freedom Day on Saturday.
“He recognized the crucial role of journalism in society and stressed the need for fact-based, balanced, and impartial reporting,” the statement elaborated.
During this extensive conference, Muizzu also took questions from the public, as provided by journalists.
The statement indicated that Muizzu, who has been in power since 2023, has elevated the Maldives from second place among 180 countries in the upcoming 2025 World Reporters Freedom Index.
Throughout Saturday’s session, he tackled various topics, according to the statement.
About 20 reporters attended, and refreshments were provided.
Muizzu’s predecessor previously set a record by hosting the first underwater cabinet meeting in 2009 to raise awareness of sea level rise threatening low-lying areas.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed submerged into the Indian Ocean, accompanied by a minister, for a press event that was broadcast nationwide.
The Maldives remains at the forefront of combating climate change, facing the risk of being swamped due to its 1,192 small coral islands scattered around the equator.
