His Excellency President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed have concluded their State Visit to Pakistan and returned to Malé. The visit, held from 20 to 22 October 2026, was undertaken at the invitation of His Excellency Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The State Visit coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Pakistan and provided an opportunity to strengthen longstanding ties and advance cooperation across key areas of mutual interest.
During the visit, President Dr Muizzu held official talks with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and met with His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan. He also met senior Pakistani officials, including His Excellency Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces; Honourable Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly; and His Excellency Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Chairman of the Senate.
The discussions reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to deepening bilateral relations, with a focus on trade and investment, health, education, tourism, fisheries and agriculture, youth and sports, defence and security, and regional and multilateral cooperation.
President Dr Muizzu and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the exchange of 20 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cooperation across various sectors. The two countries also committed to increasing bilateral trade to USD 200 million within the next two years.
Addressing the Maldives–Pakistan Business Forum 2026 in Islamabad, President Dr Muizzu invited Pakistani businesses to establish long-term partnerships with the Maldives and explore investment opportunities in food security, healthcare, construction, engineering, renewable energy and Islamic finance.
He also announced that the national airline, Maldivian, aims to introduce direct flights between Malé and Karachi soon, strengthening connectivity and creating new opportunities for trade and tourism.
The visit also featured engagements to strengthen people-to-people ties and cooperation in education, healthcare, culture and environmental protection. Pakistan announced its support for the Maldives’ five-million-tree initiative through a contribution of 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds of various plant species.
The State Visit concluded with both countries reaffirming their commitment to translating the agreements and understandings reached into tangible benefits for their people, building on six decades of friendship and cooperation.
President Dr Muizzu and the First Lady were accompanied by a high-level Maldivian delegation comprising Cabinet Ministers and senior Government officials.