Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has concluded his official visit to Serbia.

The Maldivian minister arrived in Belgrade, Serbia, on his two-day official visit on May 8 and concluded his visit on May 10.

The foreign minister’s visit carried the purpose of enhancing bilateral ties between the Republic of Maldives and the Republic of Serbia.

Taking to Twitter following his arrival in Serbia, FM Shahid expressed confidence that the visit would be an instrumental milestone in solidifying the partnership between Maldives and Serbia, and that he looked forward to holding productive discussions with his Serbian counterpart, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dačić.

The visit saw the two foreign ministers holding bilateral discussions.

During the meeting, Minister Shahid and Minister Dačić exchanged views on strengthening cooperation in existing areas, and exploring new avenues of cooperation, particularly on trade, tourism, sports and environment.

Additionally, both ministers expressed keen interest in continuing to work closely together, bilaterally and in the international fora, on issues of mutual interest.

FM Shahid emphasized the significance of the agreements signed on Tuesday, and both Ministers reaffirmed commitment to the implementation of these agreements.

Further, FM Shahid also signed five key agreements as part of the visit.

The agreements include an agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports, an agreement on Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation as well as an Air Services Agreement between the two governments.

Further, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Serbia’s Foreign Ministry on Cooperation in the field of Diplomatic Education.

An MoU in the Field of Sports was also signed between the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment of Maldives and the Ministry of Sports of Serbia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the conclusion of the agreements will not only increase the cooperation in areas such as sports, trade, and people to people connection, but it is also a testament to the growing bilateral relations between the two countries.

During the visit, FM Shahid also called on Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia, during which FM Shahid conveyed greetings and best wishes from President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and expressed the Maldivian government’s eagerness to work closely with Serbia on enhancing cooperation in the fields of tourism, trade and sports, following the signing of key agreements.

The meeting was also joined by Chief of Staff at the President’s Office Ali Zahir, Secretary Bilateral Dr. Hala Hameed and Assistant Director Fathmath Lamya Imthiyaz.

This was the second official visit FM Shahid undertook to Serbia.

His first official visit was back in November 2022, upon the official invitation from his Serbian counterpart.

During his first official visit, FM Shahid explored avenues to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries during bilateral talks with his Serbian counterpart.

The visit also saw the signing of an MoU on Bilateral Political Consultations between the two ministries. The MoU paves the path to periodic consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Maldives and Serbia. It was also expected to provide a framework to review and examine aspects of the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The recent visit signified a step towards greater bilateral exchange between Serbia and Maldives, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.