FM Shahid, PM Ranil discuss Lanka's changes to resident visa regime

Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday.

The foreign minister traveled to the neighboring country on Tuesday night, hours before the ministry announced that “all nationalities including Maldivians will require to obtain resident visa prior to arrival to Sri Lanka, effective 15 May.”

In a tweet sent after, Shahid revealed plans to meet with the Prime Minister and other officials and “discuss the newly introduced changes to the resident visa regime” and other issues of common interests.

He further expressed his confidence that they will find solutions.

Minister Shahid met the PM on Wednesday.

While both parties are to have discussed “cooperation on visa issue and countering terrorism,” Shahid said that he had assured Maldives’ solidarity with the government and people of Sri Lanka.

FM Shahid with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya

The foreign minister also called on Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Wednesday.

Both parties “exchanged views on the parliament and legislative agendas of our respective countries.”

Following the series of coordinated attacks on April 21, Sri Lankan authorities launched a “major search operation," with President Maithripala Sirisena stating that “every household in the country will be checked” in the operation. Over 250 people were killed in the attack.

While thousands of Maldivians reside in Sri Lanka, it has since been revealed that a number of them were living there without the proper documents.