بسـم اللَّه الرّحـمٰـن الـرّحيـم
Your Excellency President Disanayaka,
Distinguished Members of both delegations,
Members of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalaamu alaikum and a very good evening
It is a great honour and privilege for me to extend a warm welcome to President Disanayaka, and his delegation to the Maldives. Your Excellency’s visit is a celebration of a time-honoured friendship, a reaffirmation of our shared goals, and an opportunity to further strengthen the ties that binds our two countries.
The Maldives and Sri Lanka are kindred nations surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Our stories are intertwined, and we share a centuries-old friendship as evident in our history. Those close bonds flourished with the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between the two countries 6 decades ago.
Sri Lanka was among the first countries with which the Maldives established diplomatic relations on 26 July 1965, following our independence. This year as we mark 60 years of independence, we are also commemorating 60 years of a steadfast and time-honoured friendship rooted in mutual respect and shared aspirations.
I am confident that Your Excellency’s visit to the Maldives will further strengthen the close neighbourly bonds and broaden the scope of our engagements.
During our discussions today, President Disanyaka and I explored avenues to expand cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, defence, education and vocational training, youth and sports, environment, fisheries, and agriculture.
I commended President Disanyaka for the progress made in overcoming the recent economic challenges faced by Sri Lanka. We are confident that under Your Excellency’s able leadership, Sri Lanka will continue on a path towards a more resilient and inclusive economy.
The Treaty and the Memorandum of Understanding exchanged today reflect our shared commitment to further strengthening our close ties. The Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance will help address any procedural delays in legal matters. The MoU between the Foreign Service Institute of Maldives and the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute will pave the way for enhanced training opportunities and skills development of our diplomats. We also agreed on the importance of ensuring the effective implementation of MoUs concluded between our two countries.
The rich and vibrant connection between our people is central to the close neighbourly relations between the Maldives and Sri Lanka. During our meeting, we recognized the importance of these people-to-people connections and acknowledged the positive contributions made by our communities residing in each other’s countries. I expressed my sincere appreciation to the President for hosting a large number of Maldivians in Sri Lanka. We also agreed on the importance of delivering quality consular services to our citizens.
I would like to thank the Government of Sri Lanka for its recent decision to issue medical and spouse visas, for a period of one year for Maldivians residing in Sri Lanka.
Youth empowerment and investment in vocational training remains among the top priorities of my Government. We see great potential for collaboration with Sri Lanka in this sphere. Sri Lankan educators have made invaluable contributions to the Maldivian education sector in the past. Sri Lanka also continues to be one of the preferred destinations for Maldivian students pursuing higher education and professional training.
We agreed to enhance cooperation on capacity-building programmes, knowledge sharing initiatives, and closer partnerships between our academic institutions. I conveyed our deep appreciation to the people and the Government of Sri Lanka for the vital role played by Sri Lanka in the human resource development of the Maldives.
As island nations, the Maldives and Sri Lanka both depend heavily on the Indian Ocean, particularly for fisheries, which is one of the main sources of income for many of our people.
We reaffirmed our shared commitment to addressing challenges such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and discussed exchanging knowledge and expertise on promoting sustainable fishing practices.
Maldives will also continue our close cooperation with Sri Lanka for the safety and security of our maritime domains. We are grateful for the continued and invaluable support provided by Sri Lanka through joint exercises, various skills and professional trainings.
Maldives will continue to work with Sri Lanka in strengthening our maritime security partnership.
Climate change is another pressing concern for both our nations. It is a shared threat that requires urgent, unified, and bold action. We exchanged views on the initiatives undertaken by our respective Governments to advancing environmental sustainability through shared initiatives and international collaboration.
As close friends and neighbours, the Maldives and Sri Lanka have continued to work closely together in the international arena. President Disanayaka and I reiterated our commitment to strengthen this partnership and work closely in regional and multilateral forums to address mutual challenges.
I wish to extend my deepest appreciation to Your Excellency, your government, and the people of Sri Lanka for your enduring friendship, unwavering support and generous assistance to the Maldives.
I take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to stand by Sri Lanka and work together for the prosperity of both our nations.
As we look towards the future, I am filled with confidence that the ties between the Maldives and Sri Lanka will continue to grow from strength to strength. We are united by geography, bonded by history, and inspired by a common vision for peace, progress, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
Thank you.