Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel has met with the Deputy Managing Director, Asia and the Pacific, of the European External Action Service Paola Pampaloni.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

During the meeting, State Minister Khaleel congratulated the citizens and member states of the European Union on the occasion of Europe Day and expressed sincere gratitude to the EU for its valuable assistance and support to the Maldives.

In addition to this, State Minister Khaleel also acknowledged the vital role EU plays in promoting human rights, good governance, and democratic consolidation.

State Minister Khaleel went on to shed light on the 40-year-long relationship between the Maldives and EU.

The meeting saw Deputy Managing Director Pampolini expressing the EU's commitment to deepening its engagement with the Maldives.

She went on to emphasize that the EU is keen to provide continued support and assistance to the development of the Maldives.

The meeting also saw avenues of collaboration between Maldives and EU, explored between State Minister Khaleel and Deputy Managing Director Pampaloni.

Discussions also revolved around the upcoming Fourth Maldives – EU Senior Official Meetings slated for June 2023.

Maldives considers EU to be a key partner and over the course of the past few years, the scope of cooperation between the Maldives and EU has expanded to include a wide range of issues including democratic consolidation, judicial reform, counterterrorism, and the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as environment and climate change.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary of Economic Cooperation Dr. Hussain Niyaaz and Director Adam Hamid.