Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu is set to spend three days in Pakistan from October 20 to 22, the Foreign Office said on Sunday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended the invitation. Muizzu will be joined by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a senior delegation that includes cabinet ministers and officials.
Leaders to discuss trade, defence and climate
Muizzu will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, who will host a state banquet in his honour. He is also due to hold restricted and delegation-level talks with Shehbaz. The two sides plan to review the entire scope of their ties and explore cooperation in areas including trade, investment, health, education, tourism, agriculture, defence, maritime security, climate change and people-to-people exchanges.
They will also compare views on regional and international matters of shared interest.
Business forum and agreements expected
A Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum will run alongside the visit to bring the business communities of both countries together and identify new trade and investment openings, the Foreign Office said. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding covering different fields of bilateral cooperation are expected to be signed, according to the ministry.
The trip is the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years and coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, established in 1966. The two countries describe their ties as rooted in shared faith, mutual respect and long-standing goodwill.
