Pakistan, Maldives sign 20 MoUs, target $200m in trade in two years

Pakistan and the Maldives agreed to increase bilateral trade from $13.9 million to $200 million within the next two years, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Wednesday, as the two countries signed 20 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to expand cooperation across several sectors.

The pacts were signed during the three-day state visit of the President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, which is the first visit by the country’s president in 11 years, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Prime Minister’s House following the signing, PM Shehbaz said the trade target had been agreed with the “complete endorsement” of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who was on a three-day state visit to Pakistan.

"We will do our best jointly to raise this bilateral trade quantum from 13 million dollars to 200 million dollars in the next two years,” he said.

PM Shehbaz said existing trade, valued at $13.9 million, represented only a fraction of the countries’ economic potential.

PM Shehbaz said the two sides had held “very productive and very fruitful discussions” on economic and trade relations, strategic defence cooperation and training in policing, defence, education and health.

Highlighting existing cooperation in healthcare and education, he said a large number of Maldivian students had studied at Pakistani universities and colleges, particularly in healthcare.

“About 250 Pakistani doctors are serving the cause of suffering humanity along with Pakistani paramedics in Maldives and other places in your great country,” he said, adding that Pakistan was willing to provide more professionals to meet the Maldives’ needs.

PM Shehbaz announced that Pakistan would support the Maldives’ plan to plant five million trees by providing 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds of different plant species.

The material would be provided “in due course of time with mutual understanding”, he said.

Pakistan was also ready to provide technical expertise under the agreements. The prime minister welcomed the Maldives’ efforts to establish data centres, saying Pakistan had developed its own technical capabilities and would be willing to share its experience.

“We have already set up various data centres in various parts of Pakistan starting from half megawatt to eight and a half megawatt,” he said.

The prime minister also welcomed the Maldives’ support for Palestine, “Maldives fully supports the cause of Palestine steadfastly and in an unwavering fashion,” he said. “Pakistan stands fully committed to the cause of Palestine and their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous state of Palestine in accordance with relevant UN resolutions,” he added.

The prime minister said he had also briefed Muizzu on Pakistan’s position on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating Islamabad’s support for a peaceful resolution in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

He also raised Pakistan’s concerns over India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, stressing that international agreements must be respected.

“Legally binding treaties must be respected, and shared water resources must never be weaponised or used as an instrument of political pressure or blackmailing,” he said.

Referring to his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, PM Shehbaz repeated, “Water is a red line for Pakistan.” He added that any violation concerning shared water resources would be regarded by Pakistan as “an act of war”.

Welcoming Muizzu, PM Shehbaz said the visit was significant as it was the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years and coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, established in 1966.

“We extend a very warm welcome to you on behalf of the people of Pakistan, my government and myself,” he said.

The premier also expressed confidence that the visit would give bilateral relations fresh momentum and take them to a “stronger, broader and more substantive level”.

He also congratulated Muizzu on the honorary doctorate he was due to receive from the International Islamic University Islamabad in recognition of his leadership and public service.

The prime minister pledged to work personally with Muizzu to ensure the agreements were implemented promptly.

“I will be very happy to personally work with you to translate these written MOUs into action with prompt decision-making and speedy implementation,” he said.

A new era of partnership

Muizzu, in his address, said the agreements marked an opportunity to move the relationship between the two countries into “a new era” of partnership, building on six decades of diplomatic ties.

“My visit is particularly significant because of the timing,” he said. “It is 60 years since Pakistan opened diplomatic relations with the Maldives and those have been 60 years of warm friendship between us.”

He said the visit, the first by a Maldivian president in a decade, offered “important opportunity not simply to celebrate the friendship of the past but to define the partnership of the future.”

He thanked PM Shehbaz, the government and the people of Pakistan for the “exceptional warmth and gracious hospitality” extended to him, his wife and his delegation.

Muizzu said his discussions with the prime minister had reflected a shared ambition to make bilateral relations “broader, more dynamic and more directly beneficial to our peoples”.

The talks covered trade and investment, health and education, the environment, fisheries and agriculture, youth and sports, policing and defence, training and capacity building, and tourism. The two leaders also discussed coordination at multilateral forums on regional and global issues.

Muizzu said the exchange of 20 MoUs in areas including health, education, fisheries and agriculture, youth, arts, Islamic affairs, tourism, information technology, police and defence would open new avenues for cooperation.

“Agreements are meaningful only when they produce results,” he said, adding that the next step was to turn the understandings into “tangible opportunities and meaningful benefits for the people of both nations”.

“I fully endorse and agree to take our bilateral trade between our two countries from 13 million to 200 million dollars within the next two years,” he said.

He said the two sides had agreed to expand trade, encourage investment, deepen tourism cooperation and improve connectivity.

The Maldives-Pakistan Business Forum, scheduled for Thursday, would bring together business leaders, investors and innovators from both countries to develop partnerships, he said.

Muizzu also welcomed ongoing discussions on establishing direct flights between the two countries, saying air links would create new opportunities for tourism.

“We also see considerable potential in halal and Muslim-friendly tourism, where our shared values and experiences provide a strong foundation for partnership,” he said.

Muizzu said the two leaders had placed particular emphasis on young people and agreed to broaden opportunities for Maldivian students, athletes, coaches and young professionals in Pakistan.

“Pakistan has long provided valuable scholarships, training opportunities and placements for Maldivian students, athletes, coaches and young professionals,” he said. “We deeply appreciate this support.”

The two countries would strengthen their youth exchange programme and expand cooperation in skills development, entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership.

They had also discussed opportunities for young people in emerging fields, including artificial intelligence, digitalisation and future technologies.

“We want our next generation to be prepared for the future and be prepared to shape that future,” Muizzu said.

In healthcare, the talks focused on expanding opportunities for Maldivian students and medical professionals, including increasing MBBS placements under Pakistan’s Technical Assistance Programme and exploring internships in Pakistan for Maldivian medical graduates.

“These are investments not merely in institutions, but in people, in knowledge and skills and in the future capacity of our nation,” he said.

Speaking on climate change, Muizzu said that for the Maldives climate change was not an “abstract environmental concern.”

“It is a direct challenge to our security, our development and our future,” he said.

He welcomed stronger cooperation with Pakistan on conservation, sustainable waste management, renewable energy and climate resilience.

The Maldivian president also thanked the prime minister for announcing donations to support the Maldives’ target of planting five million trees during the five-year term of Muizzu’s government.

The discussions also covered policing and law enforcement, technical and vocational education, and institutional capacity building.

Muizzu highlighted the shared commitment between Pakistan and the to advancing common interests through engagement at the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other multilateral and regional forums.

He also stressed the importance of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), saying the regional body had significant potential to address shared challenges through collective action.

“The Maldives remains firmly committed to playing a constructive and proactive role in revitalising SAARC,” he said. Rebuilding trust, promoting meaningful dialogue and strengthening mutual understanding were essential to regional cooperation, he added.

“The Maldives stands ready to work closely with all SAARC member states towards creating the necessary conditions for convening the next SAARC Summit at the earliest possible opportunity,” Muizzu said.

On Palestine, he reiterated the Maldives’ support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and an independent, sovereign state based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also commended Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, including its efforts to promote dialogue, de-escalation, humanitarian assistance and a lasting peace.

“The Prime Minister and I agreed that it is the friendship between our people, the bonds of faith, the exchange of knowledge and the spirit of mutual respect that gives us a relationship with strength and permanence,” he said.

Muizzu said Pakistan had been a trusted friend of the Maldives for 60 years and that, “Today, the Prime Minister and I have agreed to turn a new leaf, to build a new era of partnership on the foundations of our six decades of friendship.”

He said the partnership would deliver “greater opportunity, greater prosperity and greater benefits” to the people of both countries.

Muizzu expressed confidence that the understandings reached during the talks would deepen bilateral ties and create further opportunities for cooperation.

“May the friendship between the Maldives and Pakistan continue to flourish for generations to come,” he said, adding that the two countries could look towards a bright future.

20 MoUs signed between Maldives and Pakistan

The agreements covered information technology, cyber security, artificial intelligence, digital skills, narcotics control, social protection, health, recruitment of health professionals, defence, maritime security, agriculture, fisheries, technical and vocational training, higher education, youth and sports development, air connectivity and environmental cooperation. They also included cooperation between Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority and the Maldives Food and Drug Authority.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Dr Muizzu witnessed the ceremony as the representatives from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents.

The two countries signed an MoU on cooperation in the fields of information technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, digital skills, and technology and innovation. An MoU was inked to strengthen cooperation in combating illicit trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs.

The two sides also signed an MoU on social protection as well as on health cooperation and between the Maldives Food and Drug Authority and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.

Both nations signed MoUs focused on the recruitment of health professionals, strengthening defence ties and maritime security cooperation.

With a view to boosting agricultural cooperation, an MoU was signed on the subject between the two countries, besides another one on promoting fisheries cooperation.

To promote ties in technical and vocational education, an MoU on collaboration to promote technical and vocational education and training was signed, while another MoU was inked to promote educational cooperation.

The representatives of Pakistan and Maldives also exchanged documents on MoUs on cooperation in the field of youth and sports development, air connectivity, tourism and in the field of arts, culture and heritage.

The MoUs were signed between the National College of Policy and Law Enforcement of the Maldives Police Service and National Police Academy, Islamabad; Civil Service Commission of Maldives and the Federal Public Service Commission of Pakistan; and Civil Service Commission of Maldives and Civil Service Academy (CSA) of Pakistan.

In order to boost commercial engagement, an MoU was signed between the Maldives State Trading Organisation (STO) and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) for cooperation in trade of agricultural commodities, food and other products, besides signing another pact aimed at boosting cooperation in the field of environment.

Maldives president presented guard of honour

Earlier, Maldivian president was presented with a guard of honour at the Prime Minister’s House as he arrived to meet PM Shehbaz for high-level delegation talks.

He is accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation comprising cabinet members and senior officials.

PM Shehbaz welcomed Muizzu at the formal reception ceremony, during which the national anthems of Pakistan and the Maldives were played as the two leaders stood at the salute dais.

A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Armed Forces presented the guard of honour to the visiting president, who reviewed the contingent.

Following the ceremony, the two leaders introduced their respective delegations before proceeding to one-on-one and delegation-level talks. He also planted a sapling on the lawns of the Prime Minister’s House.

The visit marked the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years and coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, established in 1966.

Meeting with FM Dar

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Muizzu, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, education, climate change and tourism, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

In a post on X, the FO said FM Dar “conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu”.

“He warmly welcomed the President and his delegation to Pakistan,” the ministry added.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to its longstanding fraternal relations with Maldives, FM Dar underscored the importance of expanding "bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, education, climate change and tourism."

FM Dar also welcomed the participation of the Maldivian business delegation in the Maldives-Pakistan Business Forum, and "expressed hope that B2B engagements would yield concrete trade and investment opportunities."

“President Dr Mohamed Muizzu appreciated the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation,” the FO said.

Read: Maldives president lands in Pakistan for three-day state visit

He also expressed Maldives’ desire to deepen its close relations with Pakistan and explore "new avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation."

In a previous statement issued on Monday, the FO said the visit was expected to focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, defence and maritime security.

Muizzu would meet President Asif Ali Zardari, who was expected to host a state banquet in his honour, and hold restricted and delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz.

The earlier statement also said the two leaders would review bilateral relations and explore cooperation in trade, investment, health, education, tourism, agriculture, defence, maritime security, climate change and people-to-people exchanges. They were also expected to discuss regional and international developments of mutual interest.

The visit was also expected to feature the Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum to encourage interaction between the two countries’ business communities and identify trade and investment opportunities. The FO had said that several agreements and memorandums of understanding covering different areas of bilateral cooperation were expected to be signed during the visit.

 

With additional input from Web desk.