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President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, is scheduled to undertake a state visit to Sri Lanka from May 3 to May 5, following an invitation from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The visit is expected to further strengthen diplomatic and bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries, with a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) planned across multiple sectors. The Sri Lankan Cabinet has already approved the signing of several of these agreements ahead of the high-level discussions.
Among the key areas of cooperation is defence and training, with an MoU expected between the Maldives Ministry of Defence and National Service and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. This agreement will focus on staff training programmes, academic exchanges, and joint research initiatives.
In the education sector, both countries are set to enhance collaboration through an agreement between the Maldives Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training. The partnership will support capacity-building for teachers and school leadership development.
Health sector cooperation is also on the agenda, with a proposed MoU between the Maldives Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare and the University of Colombo aimed at strengthening medical training and institutional collaboration.
Tourism, a key economic pillar for both nations, will also be addressed through a dedicated agreement to boost cooperation and shared development in the sector. Additionally, archival preservation and national records management will be enhanced through collaboration between the national archives authorities of both countries.
Another planned agreement will focus on youth and sports development, bringing together relevant ministries from both sides to promote exchanges and joint initiatives in these fields.
The upcoming state visit is expected to serve as an important milestone in deepening Sri Lanka–Maldives relations, with expanded cooperation anticipated across defence, education, health, tourism, culture, and youth development.
