Pakistan and Maldives Sign 20 MoUs in Islamabad

“There is no doubt that the two countries [will] keep on strengthening these relations for all time to come,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared on Wednesday as Pakistan and the Maldives signed 20 memorandums of understanding during the state visit of Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

The three-day visit, hosted in Islamabad, marks the first presidential trip from Malé to Pakistan in eleven years. Dawn.com reported that the diplomatic engagement coincides with the diamond jubilee of bilateral relations established in 1966. Muizzu arrived on Tuesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Sharif, receiving a formal guard of honour from contingents of all three armed services at the Prime Minister House.

Bilateral Trade Target Lifted to $200 Million

Economic discussions yielded an explicit commitment to scale up bilateral commerce from its current baseline. Prime Minister Sharif announced that both governments agreed to raise trade volume from $13.9 million to $200 million over the next two years, a target endorsed by President Muizzu.

The newly signed pacts span twenty distinct sectors, ranging from defence cooperation and maritime security to information technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Additional administrative frameworks were executed between the Civil Service Commission of Maldives and Pakistan’s Federal Public Service Commission alongside the Civil Services Academy. Commercial engagements also received structural backing through an agreement between the Maldives State Trading Organisation and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.

Climate Resilience and Regional Infrastructure Collaboration

Environmental and technical assistance formed a core pillar of the delegation-level talks. Islamabad pledged support for a Maldivian initiative to plant five million trees, committing to supply 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds of various species. Prime Minister Sharif offered Pakistani technical expertise to help establish data centres across the island nation.

President Muizzu emphasized that climate change poses a direct threat to Maldivian security and development, welcoming cooperative frameworks in renewable energy and sustainable waste management. The leaders also explored establishing direct air links to increase tourism, specifically for halal and Muslim-friendly travel segments.

Geopolitical Alignment on Palestine and Regional Waters

During the joint press stakeout, both heads of state addressed broader international developments. Prime Minister Sharif commended the Maldives for supporting the Palestinian right to self-determination and briefed the visiting delegation on Pakistan’s stance regarding Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad reiterated its support for a peaceful resolution through United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Prime Minister Sharif additionally raised concerns regarding India placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, describing it as a violation of a binding international pact. He stated that water resources must never be weaponised, warning that any violation would be treated by Pakistan as an act of war. President Muizzu engaged with private-sector leaders at the bilateral business forum during his visit to Pakistan.