Maldives, Singapore vow to boost ties

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Maldives and Singapore on Monday vowed to boost bilateral ties as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu met with his Singaporean counterpart, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his official trip to Singapore.

Muizzu said that during his meeting with Singaporean leaders, the two sides “reflected on current levels of engagements and agreed to new potential areas that can be tapped into.”

According to the Maldives president’s statement on X, the two nations also signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in “technical capacity-building through study visits, higher education and vocational training, and environment and sustainability.”

Muizzu hoped the signed agreements would further strengthen the partnership between the two Asian countries and deliver “tangible benefits” to their peoples.

Separately, Singapore’s Prime Minister Wong expressed his hopes with Maldives to “further strengthen our partnership in the years ahead,” on X, as well as sharing a photo of his meeting with Muizzu.

Wong highlighted that this year commemorates the 60th anniversary of both countries’ independence, stressing that both nations also became members of the UN on the same day in 1965.

The two nations established diplomatic ties in 1975, with bilateral trade between the two island nations standing at around $350 million in 2023.