The Maldives strengthened its bilateral relations with several countries through a series of agreements and high-level diplomatic meetings held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam held a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers and senior officials during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, with the engagements resulting in several new frameworks for cooperation and strengthened diplomatic ties.
Among the key outcomes was the signing of a mutual visa exemption agreement between the Maldives and Belarus. The agreement allows nationals of both countries to enter without visas for single-entry stays of up to 30 days, or multiple-entry stays totalling up to 90 days within a calendar year. The agreement is also expected to facilitate greater people-to-people contact between the two countries.
The Maldives also signed Memoranda of Understanding on political consultations with Croatia and Kenya. The agreements establish frameworks for regular consultations between the respective foreign ministries, providing platforms to deepen dialogue, identify areas for cooperation and strengthen bilateral partnerships.
With Angola, the Maldives signed two MoUs aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, including an agreement on political consultations and cooperation between the two countries’ diplomatic institutions.
The Maldives and Viet Nam also concluded an MoU on bilateral consultations between their respective Foreign Ministries. The agreement provides a structured framework for regular dialogue on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Beyond the formal agreements, Minister Iruthisham held bilateral discussions with a wide range of countries on strengthening existing relations and identifying new areas of cooperation.
These included meetings with Russia and the United Arab Emirates, where discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, with the UAE talks also covering economic cooperation. She also met the Foreign Ministers of India, Japan and Pakistan to discuss further deepening bilateral and multilateral engagement and advancing shared priorities.
The Foreign Minister also held discussions with Guinea-Bissau, Laos, Iraq, Mauritania, Andorra, Cabo Verde, Benin, Saint Lucia, Guyana, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Palau and Kuwait, among others, covering bilateral cooperation, multilateral priorities and issues of particular importance to Small Island Developing States.
She also joined Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef for a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, while calling on Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during the High-Level Week to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The series of engagements comes as the Maldives continues to use its participation in the United Nations General Assembly to expand diplomatic ties, establish regular channels for bilateral dialogue and advance cooperation with countries across different regions.
