The government has stated that they are working to establish a Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEPA) agreement between Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The agreement covers concessions for businesses which includes reductions in tariffs.

On PSM's Raajje Miadhu program, Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) stated last night that they are in the "advanced stages" of discussions in signing the CEPA agreement with the UAE. And according to him, the discussions are being held between UAE's Front Desk Ministry and Maldives' Economic Ministry.

"It is similar to a free trade agreement. The agreement is the best access agreement in UAE," said Shareef.

As per Shareef, Maldives will be including fish products in the agreement. He said that Maldives highly prioritizes seeking concessions in the export of fish products when conducting business discussions with all countries.

"As Maldives' fishing style cannot be seen anywhere else and is a sustainable practice in Maldives, we are relying on that when conducting our marketing efforts," said Shareef.

While the spokesperson has commented as such, the government of the United Kingdom made the decision yesterday to pause tariffs on Maldivian fish products for the next two years.