His Excellency President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed attended a State Banquet hosted in their honour by His Excellency Anura Kumara Disanayaka, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
At the State Banquet, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu expressed his deep appreciation to President Disanayaka, the government, and the people of Sri Lanka for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to him, the First Lady, and the Maldivian delegation.
He described Sri Lanka as a close and trusted neighbour with whom the Maldives shares a long history of friendship, built through education, healthcare, and strong people-to-people connections.
The President further described the visit as a celebration of the bond between the two countries. He acknowledged Sri Lanka's support for the Maldives' development and underlined the importance of deepening collaboration in areas such as digital transformation, sustainable tourism, renewable energy, education, and ocean conservation. Emphasising shared challenges, particularly climate change, the President called for continued joint advocacy and innovation.
President Dr Muizzu underscored the gratitude Maldivians hold for Sri Lankans and reaffirmed that it is the close ties between the peoples of both countries that give true meaning to diplomatic relations. He expressed confidence that the Maldives–Sri Lanka friendship will continue to grow stronger in the years ahead.
Cabinet Ministers and other senior officials from both the Maldivian and Sri Lankan governments were also in attendance at the banquet.
The President and First Lady are currently undertaking their first State Visit to Sri Lanka from 3 to 6 May 2026.
