Maldives President and Pakistan Defence Chief pledge deeper security ties during 60th anniversary visit
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu met Pakistan’s chief of defence, Asim Munir, in Islamabad, emphasizing stronger bilateral defence cooperation and signing 20 MoUs across multiple sectors.
President Mohamed Muizzu arrived in Islamabad for the first Maldivian presidential visit in 11 years, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Maldives-Pakistan ties. Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the need for enhanced defence cooperation, institutional links and professional exchanges. The two governments signed 20 MoUs spanning defence, IT, cybersecurity, health, education, agriculture, tourism and more, and agreed to boost trade to $200 million in two years.
Pakistan pledged technical assistance for a Maldives initiative to plant five million trees and offered scholarships for Maldivian students in fields such as AI and health. A business forum was scheduled to connect entrepreneurs, and Muizzu received an honorary doctorate from the International Islamic University Islamabad.
Why it matters
The agreement expands security, economic and climate cooperation between two strategic South Asian nations.
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