The Maldives delegation attending the Fourth Senior Officials Meeting between the Maldives and the European Union has departed to Brussels, Belgium.

The delegation departed to Brussels on Sunday.

The Senior Officials Meeting is an annual meeting that serves as a platform for fostering transparent and positive interaction between the Maldives and the European Union. The meeting helps in strengthening the existing bonds of friendship and collaboration between the Maldives and the European Union.

This year marks the fourth edition of the meeting. The meeting is scheduled to take place on June 13, 2023.

The third Senior Officials Meeting between the Maldives and the European Union was held on 25 October 2022, in Male’.

The agenda for this year's meeting includes discussions on various topics such as developments in the EU and the Maldives and the Post-Cotonou Agreement.

Topics of discussions also include; governance, democracy, human rights, rule of law, prevention of violent extremism and counterterrorism. Economic and trade cooperation, environment and climate change, development cooperation and fisheries are also topics included in the agenda for this year's meeting.

Furthermore, discussions will also be held on Schengen Visa facilitation, cooperation in the UN, regional developments, and maritime security.

The Maldives delegation will be led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel. Senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President’s Office, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Maldives Police Service and National Counter Terrorism Centre will also be in attendance.

The delegation from the European Union will be led by the Deputy Managing Director at the European External Action Service, Paola Pampaloni.

During this visit, the Maldivian delegation will also meet with the Secretary-General of Organization of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Georges Rebelo Chikoti; Managing Director for Asia and Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS), Gunnar Wiegand; Director-General at the Directorate-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE), Charline Vitcheva; EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, Ilkka Salmi; Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General International Partnerships (INTPA), Myriam Ferran; and Director-General at the Directorate-General Trade (TRADE), Sabine Weyand.