First Joint Committee meeting held in Beijing

The first meeting of the Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation, under an agreement signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Maldives in September this year, has been held in Beijing, China.

The Ministry of Economic Development said in a statement that the meeting took place yesterday.

Discussions during the meeting were focused on ongoing and future infrastructure projects in the Maldives, for which the Chinese government has assured assistance.

The ministry said that the governments also reached an agreement regarding initiating discussions on concluding a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, under which Maldivian fish exporters will enjoy duty concessions for products entering the China market. The agreement will also facilitate the removal of non-tariff barriers that are encountered by traders in cross-border trade between the two countries.