The first strategic dialogue between the Maldives and the United Kingdom (UK) at the level of senior officials was held on Monday, February 20, in Malé.
Following the discussions, the two countries agreed to establish a Maldives-UK working group on maritime security and a working group on trade. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding to formalise the Ocean Country Partnership Program under the UK's Blue Planet Fund.
The dialogue also focused on various other themes, including economic and trade cooperation, security cooperation, governance, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, environment and climate change, higher education, visas and immigration, and regional and international cooperation.
The Maldives and the UK emphasised the importance of promoting sustainable fisheries to preserve vital ocean resources and reaffirmed their commitment to the global fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
They also agreed to work towards increasing the number of scholarships offered, in collaboration with the Maldives Ministry of Higher Education. Discussions were also held on supporting the visa process for Maldivian students studying in the UK.
At the meeting, the Maldives shared the progress it has made in implementing the National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and addressed security vulnerabilities and priority areas, including maritime security and domain awareness, defence cooperation, inter-agency operability for attack-response, and delivering successful counterterrorism prosecutions.
The UK acknowledged the positive contributions made by Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, in his capacity as the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, and congratulated him on the successful completion of his term. The delegation also congratulated Maldives on its election to the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2023-2025 and expressed willingness to continue close communication and consultation on human rights issues.
The UK commended Maldives for its role in COP27, in bridging differences and ensuring the deliberations moved forward.
Both countries acknowledged the significance of maintaining strong bilateral relations and agreed to strengthen the Maldives-UK relationship through the annual continuation of the Strategic Dialogue.
The UK and the Maldives hope that these discussions will lead to a better understanding of each country's priorities and maintain a mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.
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