Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu held a press conference lasting nearly 15 hours, his office announced on Sunday, claiming it surpassed the previous record set by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as reported by AFP.
“Muizzu, 46, began the marathon press conference at 10:00 am (0500 GMT) on Saturday, and it continued for 14 hours and 54 minutes with brief pauses for prayers,” his office said in a statement.
“The conference extended past midnight — a new world record by a president — with President Muizzu continuously responding to questions from journalists,” the statement said.
In October 2019, Ukraine’s National Records Agency recognized President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 14-hour press conference as breaking the previous record of over seven hours set by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, AFP reported.
The Maldives government stated that President Muizzu’s extended press conference was also meant to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on Saturday. “He acknowledged the crucial role of the press in society and emphasised the importance of factual, balanced, and impartial reporting,” the statement added.
During the lengthy session, President Muizzu also addressed questions submitted by the public through journalists.
The statement further noted that Muizzu, who assumed office in 2023, was celebrating his nation’s rise by two places to 104th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). “During Saturday’s session, he answered a wide range of questions,” the statement said.
Around two dozen reporters attended and were served food.
A predecessor of President Muizzu, former President Mohamed Nasheed, made history in 2009 by holding the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting—a dramatic effort to draw attention to the looming threat of rising sea levels that could one day submerge the Maldives.
Clad in scuba gear, Nasheed and his ministers descended into the Indian Ocean for the nationally televised session, making a bold statement about the existential risks posed by climate change to their low-lying island nation.
Muizzu acknowledged the crucial role of the press in society and emphasized the importance of factual, balanced, and impartial reporting.
With 1,192 coral islands spread across the equator, the Maldives remains on the frontlines of global warming, fighting to preserve its land, identity, and future in the face of rapidly rising seas, as reported by AFP.
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