The Fourth Session of the Maldives-Sri Lanka Joint Commission was held on 7 June 2023 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Mr. Ali Sabry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Sri Lanka, and Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Maldives led the country delegations.

The Joint Commission discussed issues of importance to both countries, emphasizing further expansion of bilateral cooperation in various areas including trade and investment, tourism, employment, fisheries, education, health, and cultural cooperation; and recognized the need to implement existing agreements and pursue new agreements. To promote the implementation of bilateral cooperation, they decided to set up working groups in the areas of Trade, Fisheries, Tourism and Health.

Following the meeting, three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between Maldives and Sri Lanka: (i) MoU on the establishment of the Maldives Cultural Center; (ii) MoU on Health Cooperation; and (iii) MoU on Cultural Cooperation.

Furthermore, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the Joint Commission yielded several beneficial outcomes for Sri Lanka, including the possibility of expansion of cooperation in the tourism and fisheries sectors, expanding employment opportunities, and agreeing on facilitating trade and investments in Maldives.

Related links

News release: Government of Maldives

News release: Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs