President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed have returned to the Maldives this morning after concluding their state visit to Sri Lanka. The couple departed for the neighboring country last Sunday at the official invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior government ministers and officials.

In a social media post shared upon his departure, President Muizzu expressed his profound gratitude to the Sri Lankan government and its people for the warm hospitality extended to him, the First Lady, and the Maldivian delegation. He noted that he was leaving with a renewed commitment to further strengthen the historic and close relations between the two nations, marking this as his first state visit to Sri Lanka since assuming office in 2023.

The President highlighted that his productive discussions with President Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya provided significant encouragement and assurance. He expressed optimism about working together to transform bilateral commitments into meaningful results that benefit the prosperity of both peoples. During the visit, Prime Minister Amarasuriya also paid a courtesy call on the President to discuss cooperation in tourism, health, education, and socio-economic development.

A key highlight of the visit was the signing of seven significant agreements covering sectors such as tourism, higher education, health, sports, youth development, and defense. These included a collaboration between the Maldives National Defence Force and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, and another between the University of Colombo and the Maldivian health sector. Additionally, land was allocated in Colombo for a Maldivian High Commission, with the Maldives reciprocating by providing land in Malé for the Sri Lankan High Commission.

President Muizzu emphasized that this visit signifies a forward-looking partnership focused on trade and investment, including discussions on opening a Bank of Maldives branch in Sri Lanka. As both nations mark 61 years of diplomatic ties since 1965, the visit serves as a vital step in bolstering the economic and social bonds that support the large Maldivian community residing in Sri Lanka and the vital aid Sri Lanka provides to the Maldives' education and health sectors.