President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said the positive outcomes of his recent state visit to Pakistan are expected to become evident in the near future, describing the three-day visit as highly successful and an important step in strengthening relations between the Maldives and Pakistan.
Speaking during PSM News’ Nation Chat programme, President Muizzu said the visit, undertaken at the invitation of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was the first official visit to Pakistan by a Maldivian leader in 11 years. He said the level of engagement reflected the importance Pakistan placed on its relationship with the Maldives and stressed that the Government’s priority is to ensure that the agreements and understandings reached during the visit deliver practical benefits as quickly as possible.
Highlighting the close relationship between the two countries, President Muizzu noted that the Maldives and Pakistan share strong bonds as Muslim nations. He said this shared foundation remains an important element of bilateral relations and provides further opportunities to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
One of the key outcomes of the visit was an agreement to significantly expand bilateral trade, with both countries aiming to increase trade volumes to more than USD 200 million within the next two years. The President said improved commercial ties would create new opportunities for businesses, strengthen economic engagement and support broader development objectives.
President Muizzu also said efforts would be accelerated to establish direct sea and air connectivity between the Maldives and Pakistan. Stronger transport links are expected to support trade, tourism, investment and people-to-people exchanges, while making travel and movement of goods between the two countries more efficient.
A total of 20 agreements were signed during the visit, covering a broad range of sectors and laying the foundation for deeper long-term cooperation. The President said important decisions had been reached across several areas that would contribute to the future development of bilateral relations.
Education and human resource development were among the key areas of cooperation, with Pakistan agreeing to provide 20 additional undergraduate scholarships annually for Maldivian students. Both countries also agreed to strengthen collaboration in healthcare, technical training and professional capacity development.
The visit also opened further opportunities for cooperation in youth development, skills enhancement, artificial intelligence and digitalisation. President Muizzu said the agreements would help expand youth exchange programmes and support the development of skills needed for emerging sectors and the evolving digital economy.
The Government has expressed confidence that the agreements reached during the visit will translate into tangible economic, educational and development opportunities, while further strengthening the longstanding friendship between the Maldives and Pakistan.
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