Maldives-Belarus sign mutual visa exemption agreement

The governments of Maldives and Belarus have signed the Agreement on Mutual Exemption of Visas, on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The agreement was signed by the respective foreign ministers of both nations, Iruthisham Adam on behalf of the Maldivian government and Maxim Ryzhenkov on behalf of the Belarusian government.

The agreement establishes a mutual visa exemption for nationals of the Maldives and Belarus, allowing single-entry stays of up to 30 days and multiple-entry stays for a cumulative period of no more than 90 days within a calendar year.

Following the signing ceremony, Minister Iruthisham expressed her appreciation to the government of Belarus for its commitment to further strengthening the longstanding ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. She also expressed hope that the agreement would create greater opportunities for bilateral engagement and enhance people-to-people contacts between the Maldives and Belarus.

The agreement is expected to have a notable impact on Maldivian students pursuing higher education in Belarus. Statistics from Foreign Ministry indicate that approximately 140 Maldivian students are currently studying at medical universities across Belarus. While these students and their families have previously encountered various visa-related challenges, the new agreement is expected to significantly ease such difficulties.

Additionally, Belarusian national carrier Belavia is scheduled to launch direct flights to the Maldives ahead of the upcoming peak tourist season. The government expects that the introduction of direct air services, together with the new visa exemptions, will contribute to an increase in tourist arrivals from Belarus and further enhance bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade and education.

Belarus is emerging as an increasingly important market for the Maldivian tourism sector. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, 7,443 tourists from Belarus visited the Maldives last year. Belavia is expected to commence its direct flight operations to the Maldives later this year.