President of Maldives, H.E. Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is to make a State Visit to Sri Lanka, on the invitation of President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa. President Yameen’s State Visit is scheduled from the 21st to the 23rd of January, 2014. President Yameen will be accompanied by First Lady Madam Fathimath Ibrahim.
During the Visit, President Yameen will hold one-to-one deliberations with President Rajapaksa on charting the course for future Maldives-Sri Lanka bilateral ties. An official Welcoming Ceremony will be held at the Presidential Secretariat. President Rajapaksa and Sri Lankan First Lady Madam Shirathi Rajapaksa will host President Yameen and First Lady Madam Fathimath Ibrahim for a State Luncheon at the President’s House.
President Yameen will be joined by a high-level delegation that includes Hon. Qasim Ibrahim, Leader of the Jumhooree Party, Hon. Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, Leader of the Maldives Development Alliance, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dunya Maumoon, Vice President of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Hon. Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Minority Leader of Parliament and Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the PPM, Hon. Moosa Zameer, Chief Whip of the Parliamentary Group of the PPM, Hon. Ali Arif, Ministers at the President’s Office, Hon. Mohamed Hussain Shareef and Hon. Abdulla Ameen, Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed and the Foreign Secretary, Dr. Ali Naseer Mohamed.
President Yameen and President Rajapaksa will lead Official Bilateral Talks between senior delegations of the two countries.
During his stay in Sri Lanka, President Yameen will meet with the Maldivian community in Sri Lanka. He will also meet with selected members of the Sri Lankan Cabinet.
A Business Forum organised by the Sri Lankan-Maldivian Business Council will also be held as part of President Yameen’s State Visit. The Forum to discuss ways to enhance business and investment ties between Maldives and Sri Lanka will be attended by senior business delegations of both countries.
President Yameen’s State Visit will be his second since assuming presidential office.