The agreements signed between the Maldives and the Seychelles will be mutually beneficial, says Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid.

Minister Shahid made this statement during his courtesy call on the President of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan.

President Ramkalawan and First Lady, Linda Ramkalawan is in the Maldives on a state visit, following the official invitation of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Minister Shahid paid a courtesy call on the President of Seychelles, on Monday, at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi.

At the meeting, Minister Shahid welcomed the President Ramkalawan and his delegation to the Maldives and reaffirmed the strong commitment of the Government of Maldives to further enhance bilateral cooperation and increase collaboration at the regional and international levels on matters of mutual interest.

The Minister noted that the agreements signed will be mutually beneficial to both, the people of Maldives and the people Seychelles, He expressed hope that the Visa Exemption Agreement will allow greater people-to-people interaction between both countries.

Minister Shahid also reaffirmed that the Maldives stands ready to implement the outcomes agreed upon by the two leaders during the Official Talks held in the morning at the President’s Office.

Earlier on Monday afternoon,  a total of four key agreements were exchanged between Maldives and the Seychelles, marking a significant step forward in bilateral relations between the two countries.

The ceremony to officially welcome the Seychelles’ First Couple was hosted by the government on Monday morning, at the Republic Square.

After the welcoming formalities, President Ramkalawan was escorted to the President's Office in a cultural procession. Upon arrival at the President's Office, he signed the Visitors' Book and sat down with President Solih for official talks.

Afterwards, President Ramkalawan along with President Solih, presided over the agreement exchange ceremony.

The Seychelles’ president’s ongoing state visit to the archipelago nation mirrors the close ties enjoyed between Maldives and Seychelles.

The visit is also expected to lead to further collaboration between the two countries.

Diplomatic relations were established between the Maldives and Seychelles on 1 July 1980.