People's Majlis on Wednesday have given approval for the Maldives to join the Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

Joining the OACPS would provide Maldives with more opportunities to strengthen the diplomatic bonds with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Additionally, Maldives would also allow Maldives to play a larger role in international forums on issues of national interest, such as climate change and environmental issues.

This would also give the Maldivian government more opportunities to secure funding for development projects.

Moreover, joining this organization would help Maldives to improve corporation with OACPS and the European Union (EU) institutions and enhance more opportunities for the country. Negotiations on the prices of Maldivian fish exports would be made easier and this would also ease the process of obtaining Schengen visas for Maldivians.

OACPS currently have 79 member countries. If Maldives were to join this organization, it would become the 80th member of OACPS. All of the small island developing nations are members of this organization except for Maldives.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih asked for parliamentary approval to join OACPS in January 2022. The parliament granted the permission to join OACPS with the agreement of 29 parliamentarians who took part in the vote.