News Desk
ISLAMABAD — President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have pledged to dramatically expand bilateral economic ties and increase annual trade volume from $13 million to $200 million within two years, signalling a major reset in relations between the two South Asian nations.
The ambitious target was announced during a joint press appearance in Islamabad on Wednesday, following wide-ranging bilateral talks that coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Pakistan.
The state visit, President Muizzu’s first to Pakistan since taking office, marks the first visit by a Maldivian head of state to Islamabad in a decade.
The focal point of Wednesday’s engagements was the exchange of 20 Memoranda of Understanding spanning key economic, social, and security sectors. The agreements establish formal bilateral frameworks across health, education, fisheries and agriculture, youth affairs, information technology, policing, defence, and tourism.
Addressing reporters alongside Prime Minister Sharif, President Muizzu stressed that the agreements were designed to yield immediate economic returns.
“For only two such long-standing friends could have talked so widely and agreed so much about a future together that will only make us both stronger. Agreements are meaningful only when they produce results.”
— President Dr Mohamed Muizzu
To anchor the new economic trajectory, the two governments will host the Maldives–Pakistan Business Forum on Thursday, bringing together corporate leaders, investors, and state planners to evaluate joint venture opportunities. Discussions are also underway to establish direct commercial flights connecting Malé and Pakistani cities to stimulate trade, business travel, and Muslim-friendly tourism.
In addition to trade, the bilateral agenda focused heavily on technical capacity building and higher education.
Under the expanding partnership, Pakistan agreed to increase undergraduate medical placements for Maldivian students under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme and explore medical internship opportunities for Maldivian graduates within Pakistani teaching hospitals. Both governments also committed to broadening youth exchange schemes and launching collaborative initiatives in emerging technical disciplines, including artificial intelligence and digital governance.
On the environmental front, Prime Minister Sharif pledged Pakistani support for the Maldives’ national five-million-tree initiative, committing a donation of 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds of various native plant species to assist the archipelago’s climate resilience efforts.
On regional and international affairs, President Muizzu reiterated the Maldives’ commitment to reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, expressing Malé’s readiness to work alongside regional partners to rebuild trust and create conditions conducive to convening the long-delayed next SAARC Summit.
Both leaders also voiced unequivocal solidarity with the Palestinian people, reiterating support for a sovereign, independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, while President Muizzu commended Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts toward Middle Eastern de-escalation and humanitarian relief.
Closing his address, President Muizzu extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Sharif to undertake an official state visit to the Maldives in the near future.
