Maldives and Sri Lanka ink 7 agreements, including on boosting defense cooperation

Maldives and Sri Lanka exchanged seven Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on Monday, agreeing to boost cooperation across multiple sectors, including defense.

The exchange of MOUs took place after bilateral talks led by Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

In his media statement after the talks, President Muizzu said that his state visit to Sri Lanka marks not only a re-affirmation of close neighborly ties, but also the beginning of “a renewed and forward-looking partnership” between the two countries.

He described the talks between the two countries as “highly productive.”

“President Dissanayake and I have concluded highly productive discussions covering a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues. We agreed to elevate our partnership across key sectors, including trade and investment, health, defense and security, education, youth and sports development, fisheries, environment and social development,” he said.

President Muizzu said that economic cooperation was a central pillar of the talks.

“Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding trade and investment flows, creating a more enabling and investor-friendly environment, and unlocking new business opportunities,” he said.

President Muizzu said the two sides also explored the potential establishment of a Bank of Maldives (BML) branch in Sri Lanka, and introducing premium Maldives fisheries products to the Sri Lankan market.

“At the same time, I also addressed the importance of addressing the trade imbalance, ensuring that our economic relationship becomes more balanced, equitable and mutually beneficial,” he said.

President Muizzu said that the two sides also agreed to strengthen collaboration in higher education and vocational training, skills development for future industries, and institutional partnerships and knowledge exchange.

“Our goal is clear, to equip our young people with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” he said.

The seven MOUs exchanged between Maldives and Sri Lanka were:

• Renewal of cooperation in the field of tourism
• Archiving cooperation
• Teachers’ and school leaders’ training and professional development
• Renewal of sports and youth development cooperation
• Defense cooperation
• Renewal of defense education, training, and research cooperation
• Academic cooperation between the University of Colombo and Maldivian counterparts

President Muizzu described the MOUs as important agreements that will strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

“Our focus now is clear; delivery and implementation. Ensuring that these agreements translate into tangible benefits for our people,” he said.

President Muizzu said that his visit marks the beginning of “a new and dynamic chapter” in Maldives-Sri Lanka relations.

“The Maldives remains steadfast in its commitment to deepening this partnership, advancing regional cooperation, and promoting peace, stability and shared prosperity. Together, we will continue to build a partnership that delivers real results for our people and contribute meaningfully to the Indian Ocean region,” he said.

President Muizzu is on a four-day state visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Dissanayake. He is accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a delegation comprising cabinet ministers and senior government officials.