President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the quality of services provided to Maldivians living in Sri Lanka will be further improved in the future. The President made this statement while speaking at a joint press conference held after official discussions with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his current visit to the Maldives. At the joint press conference, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said that Sri Lanka is a country where a large number of Maldivians reside, and during the discussions with the Sri Lankan President, they agreed to improve the quality of services provided to Maldivians living in that country.
The President said that Sri Lanka is a country where many Maldivians pursue their education, and Sri Lankan teachers also play an important role in the Maldivian education sector. Therefore, in addition to training people, both countries have agreed to strengthen ties between higher education institutions in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the President said. “With the agreements concluded today, legal assistance will be exchanged between the two countries. And the agreement established between the Foreign Services of Maldives and the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute will develop the skills of Maldivian diplomats,” the President said.
In his speech, the President also highlighted other matters discussed with the Sri Lankan President. He said that discussions were held on strengthening ties to ensure maritime safety and security in the region, to work against the damages caused by climate change, and to collaborate in the international arena. The President also said that discussions were held on cooperating in the areas of trade, defense, education, vocational training, youth empowerment, sports, environment, fisheries, and agriculture.
In his speech, the President also acknowledged the efforts of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in rescuing Sri Lanka from its economic crisis. Sri Lanka and the Maldives have long-standing close relations. The Maldives officially established diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka on July 26, 1965.
The current visit of the Sri Lankan President to the Maldives is at the invitation of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. During this visit, a Memorandum of Understanding on providing training to foreign service staff and a treaty on cooperation in preventing criminal offenses have been signed.
