Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu arrives in Pakistan on state visit

Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a three-day state visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Dr Muizzu was accompanied by First Lady Madam Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation comprising cabinet ministers and senior officials. Upon arrival at Islamabad International Airport, the Maldives president and the first lady were accorded a 21-gun salute. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Muizzu will be accorded an official welcome tomorrow at the Prime Minister’s House. The visiting dignitary is on a state visit to Pakistan from October 20 to 22. During the visit, President Muizzu will meet his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, who will also host a State Banquet in his honour. He will also hold restricted and delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz. A Foreign Office spokesperson had earlier said that the two leaders would review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and explore avenues to further strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, health, education, tourism, agriculture, defence, maritime security, climate change and people-to-people exchanges. They will also exchange views on regional and international developments of mutual interest. “The visit will also feature a Pakistan–Maldives Business Forum, aimed at promoting greater interaction between the business communities of the two countries and exploring new opportunities for trade and investment. A number of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering diverse areas of bilateral cooperation are expected to be signed during the visit,” read the statement. The state visit, the first by a President of Maldives to Pakistan in eleven years, assumes special significance as the two countries commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1966. Pakistan and Maldives enjoyed warm and fraternal relations rooted in shared faith, mutual respect, longstanding goodwill and close cooperation at regional and international forums. The spokesperson had said that the visit reflects the shared commitment of both countries to further strengthen their bilateral partnership and open new avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation.