Discussions have been held on enhancing trade and tourism cooperation between Maldives and Turkey.

The talks were held between the President of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye during the latter’s ongoing official visit to the Maldives.

As such, the Turkish Foreign Minister paid a courtesy call on the Maldivian president as part of the visit, on Sunday morning, where the pair engaged in discussions revolving around a wide array of topics of mutual interest and value including enhancing trade, air connectivity, tourism cooperation, fisheries sector development, infrastructural development, climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Further, discussions also revolved around efforts to battle terrorism, radicalization, and violent extremism

President Solih and the minister of Turkey also spoke extensively regarding the five Memorandums of Understanding signed between the two governments on Sunday, in a bid to solidify the bilateral ties between Maldives and Turkey.

Welcoming the Turkish Foreign Minister to Maldives, the president also conveyed well wishes to the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on behalf of whom the foreign minister extended well wishes to the Maldivian president.

Further, the pair shed light on the existing bilateral ties between the two allies and highlighted that 2021 marked the 42nd anniversary since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Maldives and Turkey.

The meeting saw President Solih highlighting that the foreign minister’s visit to Maldives, mirrors the significance the government of Turkey places on enhancing bilateral ties with the archipelago nation.

He went on to extend gratitude for the government of Turkey for offering to donate 20,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines to support the government’s Covid-19 inoculation drive, launched during February in 2021.

Concluding the meeting, the Maldivian president and foreign minister of Turkey reiterated their commitment to continue working together for the common good of both countries.

This is the first time a foreign minister of Turkey is visiting the Maldives.

Maldives and Turkey established diplomatic relations on 28 May 1979.