The key facts
- 20 memoranda signed: defense, maritime security, IT, cybersecurity, AI, agriculture, tourism and more.
- Sharif announced a goal to increase trade turnover from $13.9 million to $200 million within two years.
- Muizzu reaffirmed commitment to reviving SAARC; direct flights between the countries were discussed.
Visit and signed documents
Pakistan and the Maldives agreed to expand cooperation in trade, defense, maritime security and artificial intelligence. The agreements were reached during talks between Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The sides signed 20 memoranda of understanding in various fields, including defense, maritime security, information technology, cybersecurity and AI. Agreements were also signed on combating illicit trafficking and drug smuggling and on developing cooperation in agriculture, trade, fisheries, environment, education, tourism, arts and culture.
Context of the visit
Muizzu arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday on a three-day state visit at Sharif's invitation. It is the first visit by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years; it coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, established in 1966. Later, Muizzu received an honorary doctorate in political science from the International Islamic University.
Trade and initiatives
At a joint press conference, Sharif pledged to strengthen relations with the Maldives 'for all times' and announced that the sides had agreed to increase bilateral trade turnover from $13.9 million — 'only a small fraction of our potential' — to $200 million within two years. He also said that Islamabad would support Male in the campaign to plant 5 million trees in the Maldives, providing 100,000 olive cuttings and 100,000 seeds of various plants within the agreed timeframe.
Statements on the region
Sharif declared Pakistan's commitment to peace, stability, dialogue and regional economic cooperation in South Asia. According to him, Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized dispute, the just settlement of which must be in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He also expressed 'serious concern' over India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in April 2025, calling it a violation of an internationally binding treaty: 'legally binding treaties must be honored, and shared water resources must never be turned into an instrument of political pressure or blackmail.'
The Maldives' position
Muizzu expressed the Maldives' desire to deepen close ties with Pakistan and seek new avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation. According to him, the memoranda open new opportunities, but agreements only make sense when they deliver results. He noted that he was encouraged by discussions on opening direct flights between the countries, which would also support tourism. Muizzu emphasized the value of SAARC and its potential for addressing common challenges through collective action, stating that the Maldives are 'firmly committed to playing a constructive and proactive role in the revival of the association.' The last SAARC summit was held in 2014 in Nepal.
