Itt is an immense pleasure to welcome His Excellency the President of the Republic of Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, and his delegation, including Cabinet Ministers.
In July 2025, we had the opportunity to visit the Maldives a country that we can say, without a doubt, is like paradise. During that visit, which marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between our two nations, I invited His Excellency the President of the Maldives to undertake a State Visit to Sri Lanka. I thank him for accepting my invitation.
Sri Lanka and the Maldives are two beautiful countries that respect each other. They are nations of warm and hospitable people.
It is true that our formal diplomatic relations began on 26 July 1965, when the Maldives gained independence. However, our relations go back centuries beyond this date. According to the historical records of the Mahavamsa, some of those who came with Prince Vijaya settled in the Maldives.
When viewed from this perspective, our relationship built on friendship, mutual respect, and closes cultural and linguistic bonds is deeply rooted. These ties continue to strengthen the bond between our two countries.
Over the years, these historic connections have become the foundation for achieving our shared aspirations for peace, prosperity and sustainable development in our region.
It must be noted that diversifying trade between Sri Lanka and the Maldives is an important aspect of strengthening bilateral relations. I would like to particularly mention that, among SAARC countries, the Maldives is the third-largest export destination for Sri Lankan goods.
This is a testament to our long-standing people-to-people ties and friendly bilateral relations. That closeness provides a firm basis for both our countries to work together with mutual understanding in our development journey.
When we consider the climate, humanity, economy, cultural diversity, lifestyle and hospitality of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, we see many similarities between our countries.
I would say that the only difference between us is that the Maldives is a beautiful country with flat terrain, while Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with mountainous landscapes.
There are many heartfelt experiences that define the close relationship between our countries.
In particular, I wish to respectfully recall the support extended by the Government and people of the Maldives in the immediate aftermath of the unfortunate cyclonic disaster that Sri Lanka recently faced. The Maldivian Government and people exemplified the grace of immediately coming to the aid of a neighbour in distress. I expressed my gratitude to President Muizzu for the support and generosity of his Government and people. I remember this helping hand in a time of need with deep respect.
During the bilateral talks, President Muizzu and I, together with our respective delegations, reviewed the current state of our multifaceted relations.
In particular, we focused on ways in which our two countries could work together in international fora to address the shared challenge of climate change and its impacts, which threaten our very existence. The Maldives is engaged in a sustained effort to combat sea-level rise and global warming and in this effort, Sri Lanka stands as a partner.
We exchanged views on ways to further enhance and diversify cooperation across many areas for the mutual benefit of our nations and peoples. We also entered into Memoranda of Understanding in the sectors of tourism, education, higher education, health, sports and youth development and defence.
Sri Lanka recognises the Maldives as an important economic partner in the region, and we are keen to further expand this partnership. I invited Maldivian businesses to explore investment opportunities in Sri Lanka particularly in information technology and artificial intelligence, fisheries and agro-processing, tourism and leisure, as well as real estate and urban infrastructure.
I wish every success to the Business Forum to be held tomorrow (5 May) and I look forward to many fruitful partnerships emerging from it.
As island nations, we are heavily dependent on the ocean. In this context, I thank President Muizzu for presenting insightful proposals aimed at enhancing cooperation between our two countries in the fisheries sector.
I also understand that President Muizzu will lead the launch in Colombo of fisheries products produced under the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO). I convey my best wishes for a successful event and a fruitful partnership.
I further informed President Muizzu regarding Sri Lanka’s interest in exploring additional avenues of collaboration in the boat-building sector, which holds considerable potential for mutual benefit.
The success of the Maldives’ tourism industry has a positive impact on Sri Lanka, as many tourists choose both Sri Lanka and the Maldives as a twin destination. There are many Sri Lankan companies that have invested in the Maldivian tourism industry. Therefore, it is opportune for us to explore opportunities to derive mutual benefit from this sector.
There is already excellent air connectivity between the Maldives and Sri Lanka and there is growing potential for collaboration in air services as well as maritime connectivity.
During our discussions this morning, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to regional security and stability.
Sri Lanka and the Maldives are located along key routes in the Indian Ocean. We both face common challenges. We must work together to ensure that our oceans are not used for nefarious activities that threaten our nations.
On this special occasion, I would like to announce that Sri Lanka has allocated a plot of land in Colombo for the High Commission of the Maldives. This gesture has been reciprocated by the Maldives, which has allocated land for the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Malé. Both governments are working to finalise the necessary agreements.
In conclusion, I once again convey my sincere appreciation to President Muizzu and the members of the distinguished delegation for undertaking this visit to Sri Lanka.
Your Excellency’s presence here reflects the goodwill, trust, and friendship that underpin the strong partnership between our two countries. We are confident that this visit will further consolidate our relations in the years to come.
I would like to remind President Muizzu that the doors of his second home are always open to him for positive endeavours."
