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- Visiting Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu holds talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad - Maldives 'firmly committed to playing a constructive and proactive role in revitalizing the SAARC,' says Muizzu
By Aamir Latif
ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan and the Maldives on Wednesday agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, defense, maritime security and artificial intelligence (AI).
The agreement was reached during a summit between visiting Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the capital Islamabad.
The two countries inked 20 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in a variety of fields, including defense cooperation, maritime security, information technology, cybersecurity, and AI.
The two sides also inked agreements aimed at fighting against illicit trafficking and narcotics, in addition to bolstering cooperation in agriculture, trade, fisheries, environment, education, tourism, and arts and culture and other sectors.
Muizzu arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday on a three-day state visit at Sharif's invitation .
This marks the first visit by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years, and comes as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 1966.
Later addressing a joint stakeout with Muizzu, Sharif vowed to strengthen Pakistan’s relations with the Maldives for "all time to come."
Sharif announced that both sides had agreed to raise their bilateral trade from $13.9 million — “just a fraction of our potential” — to $200 million in the next two years.
He further announced that Islamabad would support Male in promoting the plantation of 5 million trees in the Maldives by providing 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds of various plant species within a mutually decided timeframe.
- Peace in South Asia
Sharif said that Pakistan remains committed to peace, stability, dialogue and regional economic cooperation in South Asia.
He said that "Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized dispute, whose just resolution must come in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people."
He also expressed Pakistan’s “serious concern” over India’s decision to place the water-sharing Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance in April 2025, describing the move as a violation of an international binding treaty.
“Pakistan’s position is loud and clear and beyond an array of doubt; legally binding treaties must be respected and shared water resources must never be weaponized or used as an instrument of political pressure or blackmailing,” he said.
Muizzu, for his part, expressed Maldives’ desire to deepen its close relations with Pakistan and explore new avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation.
About the latest MoUs, he said they would open new avenues for cooperation among multiple sectors, but agreements are meaningful only when they produce results.
He said he was encouraged by the discussions to establish direct flights between Pakistan and the Maldives, adding that direct flights would help support tourism as well.
Muizzu also emphasized the value of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and its tremendous tremendous potential for the region to address shared challenges through collective action.
The Maldives remains "firmly committed to playing a constructive and proactive role in revitalizing the SAARC," he said.
The last SAARC summit was held in 2014 in Nepal.
The Maldivian president was later conferred with an honorary doctorate in politics by the International Islamic University.
Amir Latif Arain
