Islamabad: President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives is set to embark on a three-day state visit to Pakistan starting Tuesday, following an invitation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit marks the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in over a decade and comes as the two nations celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.

According to Radio Pakistan, President Muizzu will be accompanied by First Lady Madam Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation, including Cabinet Ministers and senior officials. During the visit, President Muizzu is scheduled to meet with Pakistan’s President, who will host a state banquet in his honor. In addition, the Maldivian President will engage in both restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Sharif. The discussions are expected to cover a broad range of topics including trade, investment, health, education, tourism, agriculture, defense, maritime security, climate change, and people-to-people exchanges.

The visit will also feature the Pakistan-Maldives Business Forum, aimed at fostering greater interaction between the business communities of the two countries and exploring new opportunities for trade and investment. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding covering various areas of bilateral cooperation are anticipated to be signed during the visit.

The visit underscores the shared commitment of Pakistan and the Maldives to further strengthening their bilateral partnership and exploring new avenues for cooperation. The two countries have enjoyed warm and fraternal relations, rooted in shared faith, mutual respect, and longstanding goodwill, with close cooperation at regional and international forums.