The Maldives and Pakistan have agreed to expand cooperation in agriculture and fisheries through separate memorandums of understanding exchanged during President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit to Pakistan.
The agreements were exchanged in Islamabad on Wednesday as the two countries seek to broaden bilateral cooperation across trade, food production and economic development.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, and Maldivian Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam exchanged the MoU on agricultural cooperation.
The fisheries cooperation agreement was exchanged by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar, and Maldivian Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade Mohamed Saeed.
The agreements were among 20 memorandums of understanding exchanged during the visit, which marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Pakistan.
Speaking during a joint press statement, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said the two countries had discussed expanding economic and trade relations and strengthening cooperation across several sectors.
The leaders also agreed to work towards increasing bilateral trade from approximately USD 13.9 million to USD 200 million within the next two years.
The agreements on agriculture and fisheries provide a framework for further cooperation between the two countries, although specific projects, funding arrangements and implementation timelines were not detailed during the ceremony.
