President of the Republic of Maldives Dr Mohamed Muizzu will undertake a State Visit to Pakistan from October 20 to 22, the first by a Maldivian president in eleven years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday.
The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to the Foreign Office, President Muizzu will be accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation comprising cabinet ministers and senior officials.
During his stay, the Maldivian president will call on the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, who will also host a state banquet in his honour. He will hold restricted and delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz Sharif.
The two leaders are expected to review the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and explore ways to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, health, education, tourism, agriculture, defence, maritime security, climate change and people-to-people exchanges. They will also exchange views on regional and international developments of mutual interest.
The visit will feature a Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum aimed at enhancing interaction between the business communities of the two countries and identifying new opportunities for trade and investment.
A number of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering diverse areas of bilateral cooperation are also expected to be signed, the statement said.
The Foreign Office noted that the visit carries special significance as the two countries commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1966.
“Pakistan and Maldives enjoy warm and fraternal relations rooted in shared faith, mutual respect, longstanding goodwill and close cooperation at regional and international forums,” the statement added.
It said the forthcoming visit reflects the shared commitment of both countries to further strengthen their bilateral partnership and open new avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation.