The Maldives’ President Dr Mohamed Muizzu was welcomed at Prime Minister House in Islamabad with a guard of honour on Wednesday morning.
Muizzu arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday on a three-day visit at the invitation of PM Shehbaz Sharif. The visit marks the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years, and comes as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 1966.
At the welcome ceremony, Muizzi shook hands with the federal ministers, while PM Shehbaz also greeted the Maldivian delegation.
According to a statement by PM Office (PMO), the prime minister extended a “warm welcome to the esteemed guest”, followed by a guard of honour by smartly turned-out contingents of all three armed forces.
The visiting dignitary also planted a sapling at PM House, and prayers were offered for the progress and prosperity of both countries.
An earlier statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) said Muizzu will meet President Asif Ali Zardari and will also hold “restricted and delegation-level” talks with PM Shehbaz.
A Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum will also be held during the visit to promote interaction between the two countries’ business communities and explore opportunities for trade and investment.
Meeting with Dar
Earlier in the day, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on Muizzu, welcoming him and his delegation to Pakistan, FO said on X.
Dar “underscored the importance of expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, education, climate change and tourism”, FO said.
DPM Dar also welcomed the Maldivian business delegation in the Maldives-Pakistan Business Forum and “expressed hope that B2B engagements would yield concrete trade and investment opportunities”.
Muizzu, speaking to Dar, “expressed Maldives’ desire to deepen its close relations with Pakistan and explore new avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation”, FO said.
Last month, the Maldives’ parliamentary speaker Abdul Raheem Abdullah met with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.
In 2015, former Maldivian president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom undertook a two-day state visit to Pakistan on May 6-7 at the invitation of then-PM Nawaz Sharif.