The Maldives and Sri Lanka have signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening cooperation across a range of key sectors, during the ongoing state visit of President Mohamed Muizzu to Sri Lanka.
The agreements were signed as part of the President’s official visit from the 3rd to the 6th of this month, undertaken at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The MoUs were exchanged during a special ceremony held in the presence of both leaders.
A total of seven agreements were concluded, covering areas including tourism, education, youth development, and defence cooperation. The initiatives are expected to further deepen longstanding ties between the two neighbouring Indian Ocean nations.
Following are the details of the MoUs
- An MoU on cooperation in the field of tourism, signed by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel’s portfolio representative Irthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath.
- An MoU on cooperation in the field of archives, also signed by Irthisham Adam and Vijitha Herath.
- An MoU on sports and youth development, signed by Irthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage.
- An MoU on teacher training and the professional development of school leaders, signed by Irthisham Adam and Vijitha Herath.
- An MoU on strengthening defence cooperation, signed by Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Masood Imad and Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry Secretary, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha.
- An MoU on defence education, training and research, signed by High Commissioner Masood Imad and Vice Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Rear Admiral H.G.U. Dammika Kumara.
- An MoU on facilitating higher education opportunities, signed by High Commissioner Masood Imad and Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake.
Following the signing ceremony, President Muizzu and President Dissanayake delivered a joint statement reaffirming the strong and evolving bilateral relationship between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, and expressing commitment to further expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.