Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will undertake a state visit to Sri Lanka beginning May 3 at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with seven agreements set to be signed during the trip, the Maldives government’s Chief Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said on Friday.
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet had earlier this week approved the signing of six Memoranda of Understanding for the visit. Speaking at the newly launched “Presser with the Spox” programme at the PSM state media studio, Shareef said at least seven agreements would be signed across higher education, defence cooperation, foreign relations, health and sports and youth development.
The defence MoU will be signed between the Maldives Ministry of Defence and National Service and Sri Lanka’s General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, covering training programmes, staff exchanges and joint research initiatives.
In education, the two governments will sign an MoU for cooperation in the training and professional development of teachers and school leaders. A separate health-sector agreement will link the Maldives Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare with the University of Colombo.
A tourism MoU will formalise cooperation between the two Indian Ocean economies, both of which depend heavily on visitor arrivals. The National Archives of the Maldives and the Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka will sign an agreement on archival cooperation, and a further MoU will cover sports and youth development.
Shareef said discussions during the trip would also facilitate networking between Maldivian and Sri Lankan business owners and explore investment opportunities. Muizzu is scheduled to meet Sri Lankan ministers, the Prime Minister and members of the Maldivian community resident in Sri Lanka. The accompanying delegation includes First Lady Saajidha Mohamed and several cabinet ministers.
The visit is the first formal state visit by President Muizzu to Sri Lanka and follows the earlier announcement of his planned May trip. Muizzu took office in November 2023 on a platform of recalibrating Maldivian foreign policy, but his administration has steadily restored ties with Colombo since the change of government in Sri Lanka.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry in Colombo confirmed Muizzu’s arrival on Sunday, with both Ada Derana and Newswire reporting the visit will run through May 6. Police announced a special traffic plan for Colombo for the duration of the visit. Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry described the trip as Muizzu’s first to the country since assuming office in 2023.
EconomyNext reported on Sunday evening that Muizzu and his delegation were received by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya at the airport, followed by a guard of honour from the Sri Lanka Air Force. Ada Derana confirmed his arrival earlier in the afternoon.
The official welcome ceremony was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday morning (May 4) under the patronage of President Dissanayake, NewsFirst and Ada Derana confirmed. The two leaders were scheduled to issue a joint media statement following bilateral discussions and the formal MoU signings. Police said a special traffic plan will remain in effect across Colombo and routes around the Katunayake Expressway through May 6.
Marking the visit, the two governments also exchanged reciprocal land allocations for diplomatic infrastructure: a plot of land in Colombo has been allocated for the Maldivian High Commission in Sri Lanka, while the Maldives has allocated a plot for the Sri Lankan High Commission in Malé. Ada Derana reported that seven Memoranda of Understanding were signed during the visit covering tourism, education, higher education, health, sports, youth development, archives and defence. NewsFirst confirmed the reciprocal land deal as a “diplomatic initiative” announced by President Dissanayake.
NewsFirst reported on Tuesday morning that Muizzu and his delegation were scheduled to attend a special business forum in Colombo on May 5 after concluding their high-level diplomatic engagements. Citing the President’s Media Division, the broadcaster said the Maldivian leader would conclude his three-day official visit and depart the island on Wednesday morning. The accompanying delegation includes First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, the Maldivian Foreign Minister and several senior cabinet ministers, with police continuing the special traffic plan around Colombo and the Katunayake Expressway until departure.
The Maldives–Sri Lanka Business Forum was held in Colombo on Tuesday with more than 400 business leaders and investors from both countries in attendance, the President’s Media Division said. President Muizzu told the gathering that the Maldives is “a nation on the rise” and has placed “private sector-led growth at the very heart of our national agenda”, citing a modernised foreign investment law and revised investor entry requirements designed to deliver “clarity, predictability and transparency”. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said Sri Lanka too “stands at a pivotal moment in its economic journey”, having navigated economic pressures and 2025’s severe weather impacts through fiscal discipline and structural reforms.
President Muizzu and his delegation departed Bandaranaike International Airport on Wednesday morning (May 6), concluding the three-day state visit, The Island reported. Minister of Science and Technology Krishantha Abeysena, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage, MP Oshani Umanga and senior Foreign Ministry officials saw the Maldivian President, the First Lady and the accompanying delegation off at the airport. The Island said the visit “further strengthened the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the Maldives and Sri Lanka”, with several mutually beneficial areas of cooperation agreed upon during the trip.
Sources: The Island — Maldivian President concludes state visit, Ada Derana — Business forum address, NewsFirst — May 5 business forum, Ada Derana — Lands allocated, NewsFirst — Reciprocal high commissions, NewsFirst — May 4 welcome ceremony, Ada Derana — state welcome today, NewsFirst — pre-visit, EconomyNext — pre-visit MoUs, The Island — seven deals on the table, Ada Derana — arriving, Newswire — arriving, EconomyNext — Muizzu arrives, Ada Derana — arrival.
