A financing agreement has been signed between the Maldives and European Union (EU).

The new flagship initiative to strengthen the rule of law and anti-corruption in the Maldives was officially launched during the sidelines of the fourth Maldives – EU Senior Officials Meeting held in Brussels.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that the programme will proceed for a period of five years.

Funded by the EU for a total of EUR five million which is approximately MVR 83 million, the programme is based on the priority needs and reforms of the government of Maldives.

The five-year programme will be implemented in close partnership with all relevant actors from the justice and anti-corruption sectors.

During the signing ceremony, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel signed the agreement on behalf of the Maldivian government, with Director for Asia, Middle East and the Pacific, Directorate General for International Partnerships Peteris Ustubs signing on behalf of the EU.

The ’Strengthening the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption’ programme is expected to build upon and complement the achievements and lessons learnt from past EU initiatives in the sector.

The key objective of the programme is to strengthen the rule of law and reduce corruption in the Maldives through supporting the archipelago nation in developing an effective, accountable and inclusive justice system and strengthening anti-corruption efforts through better legal frameworks, institutional capacity building and improving public perception.