Maldives President Muizzu Signs 20 Cooperation Pacts in Pakistan

President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives conducted a three-day state visit to Islamabad starting October 21, 2026, the first such visit by a Maldivian president in 11 years. During the trip, Muizzu met with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations.

The two nations signed 20 Memoranda of Understanding covering defense, maritime security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and agriculture. Prime Minister Sharif set a target to increase bilateral trade from $13.9 million to $200 million within two years and pledged 200,000 olive cuttings and seeds to support the Maldives' Five Million Tree Initiative.

Security and defense cooperation formed a central pillar of the visit. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, met with Muizzu to discuss institutional linkages and professional exchanges. Additionally, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry and Maldivian Minister Ali Ihusan agreed to collaborate on curbing organized crime and human smuggling.

The leaders also discussed the revitalization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the rights of the Palestinian people. The renewed engagement carries strategic implications for India given the Maldives' location in the Indian Ocean and New Delhi's maritime security interests.