Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer has concluded a fruitful official visit to neighboring Sri Lanka.

The foreign minister departed from Velana International Airport (VIA) on June 3.

Upon touching down at Colombo, Sri Lanka he was received by the State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Tharaka Balasuriya.

In a post on social media platform ‘X’ following his arrival, FM Zameer expressed hope to observe fruitful bilateral engagements and discussions.

His visit came upon the official invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka M.U.M. Ali Sabry.

FM Zameer concluded his official visit and returned home on Thursday.

Taking to ‘X’ before departing, FM Zameer thanked his Sri Lankan counterpart as well as the leadership of the neighboring country for the special consideration that is always accorded to the Maldivian people.

He expressed confidence that the long-standing bonds of friendship and cooperation between Maldives and Sri Lanka based on mutual trust, and respect will continue to prosper from strength to strength for years to come.

As part of the visit, the Maldivian minister paid courtesy calls on President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunawardena.

As part of his meeting with the Sri Lankan President, FM Zameer expressed the Maldivian government’s appreciation for the continuous support and cooperation extended by Sri Lanka for the socio-economic development of Maldives.

He also reaffirmed the Maldivian government’s commitment to deepen bilateral ties through mutually beneficial collaborations.

During his call with PM Gunawardena, discussions touched upon the longstanding bonds of friendship and cooperation enjoyed between the two countries, as well as ways to further enhance ties and people-to-people contact.

Noting that Maldives and Sri Lanka share a historic and close relationship, FM Zameer expressed strong commitment to strengthen this bond even further.

He went on to express gratitude to the Sri Lankan PM for the continued support for the socio-economic development of the Maldives.

Engaging in bilateral talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart, FM Zameer stated that Maldives and Sri Lanka share a strong and historic relationship based on mutual trust, respect and understanding, as close neighbors.

Discussions between the two ministers revolved around further enhancing the excellent bilateral relationship on areas of mutual interest, including economic cooperation, health, education, fisheries, youth and sports, social protection, for the benefit of the people of the two neighboring countries.

FM Zameer expressed confidence that the relationship between both countries would continue to prosper in the future.

The Maldivian minister also visited the High Commission of Maldives in Sri Lanka and met with the staff of the mission.

During the meeting he thanked High Commissioner Masood Imad and the staff, for their dedication and hard work and shed light on the significance of providing quality consular services to the Maldivian community residing in Sri Lanka.

Visiting the Maldivian Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka, FM Zameer interacted with the staff and discussed ways to further enhance the services provided at the center as well.

He also held productive discussions with the members of the Sri Lanka - Maldives Business Council, which saw views exchanged on increasing trade and economic ties and enhancing mutually beneficial partnerships between business communities of Maldives and Sri Lanka.

As part of the visit, FM Zameer also met MP Namal Rajapaksa and reflected on the time-tested and historic ties of friendship before expressing confidence that the close relationship between Maldives and Sri Lanka will progress further in the years ahead.

During his interaction with the Sri Lanka Business Community and members of the Banking Sector as part of the trip, FM Zameer commended the government of Sri Lanka for the resilience and perseverance demonstrated in the face of an extremely challenging economic situation. Discussions also touched upon the future economic outlook as well as opportunities available for trade and investments in Maldives and Sri Lanka.

In addition to this, FM Zameer met with Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka, leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sajith Premadasa and discussed the mutual commitment to enhance the relationship between the two countries for the mutual benefit of the people.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheryna Abdul Samad, Additional Secretary Shiruzimath Sameer and Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aishath Fareena accompanied the minister during the trip.