President Muizzu concludes Pakistan visit with agreements across 20 areas

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu returned to the Maldives on Friday after concluding an official visit to Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during which the two countries signed agreements covering 20 areas of cooperation.

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

The agreements signed during the visit covered several sectors, including defence, healthcare and trade, as both governments sought to expand bilateral cooperation.

During the visit, President Muizzu held official talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

The leaders announced plans to increase bilateral trade between the Maldives and Pakistan to USD 200 million within the next two years.

Discussions also focused on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, healthcare, education, tourism, fisheries, agriculture, youth development, sports, defence and security, as well as regional and international affairs.

President Muizzu also met senior Pakistani officials to discuss opportunities for further cooperation between the two countries.

As part of the visit, the Maldives-Pakistan Business Forum was held in Islamabad on Thursday, bringing together representatives from the business communities of both countries.

Addressing the forum, President Muizzu invited Pakistani businesses to establish long-term commercial partnerships with the Maldives and explore investment opportunities across several sectors.

He identified food security, healthcare, construction, engineering, renewable energy and Islamic finance as areas offering opportunities for Pakistani investment.

The President also highlighted the potential for increased trade and investment between the two countries, encouraging businesses to pursue partnerships that would support economic cooperation.

In addition, President Muizzu announced that the Maldives' national airline, Maldivian, was aiming to introduce direct flights between Malé and Karachi in the near future.

The proposed service is expected to improve air connectivity between the two countries and support travel, tourism and business exchanges.

The visit formed part of efforts to strengthen relations between the Maldives and Pakistan, with both governments agreeing to expand cooperation across economic, social and security-related sectors.