Islamabad: In a move that could see greater Pakistani presence in the Arabian Sea, close to India’s southern coast, Pakistan and the Maldives signed 20 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on Wednesday to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including defence, maritime security and artificial intelligence.
The MoUs were inked during the ongoing visit of Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu to Pakistan.
Muizzu’s visit to Pakistan is the first by a Maldivian president in 11 years, and coincides with the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations established between the two countries in 1966.
The MoUs, signed in the presence of leaders of both countries, pertained to defence cooperation, maritime security, cooperation in the fields of information technology, cybersecurity and AI, as reported by PTI.
The MoUs also include combating illicit trafficking and narcotics, social protection, health and cooperation between the food regulatory authorities, recruitment of health professionals, promotion of vocational training, youth and sports development, enhancing air connectivity, cooperation between police academies and pacts of the Civil Services Commission of Maldives with the Federal Public Service Commission and the Civil Service Academy.
Separate pacts on cooperation in agriculture, trade, fisheries, environment, education, tourism, and arts and culture were also signed.
Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Muizzu held talks ahead of the signing of the MoUs and addressed a joint press conference after the signing ceremony.
While addressing the media, Sharif said that the two countries would continue working on strengthening these relations in future.
He would be happy to personally work with him “to translate these written MoUs into action with prompt decision-making and speedy implementation”, Sharif told Muizzu.
The two sides held “very productive and very fruitful discussion” which encompassed “economic and trade relations, our strategic defence cooperation, our support for training of our brothers and sisters from Maldives in Pakistan in various walks of life; police, defence, education, health and many other” fields, Sharif said.
Both sides had agreed to increase their bilateral trade from USD 13.9 million to USD 200 million in the next two years, the Pakistan prime minister said, adding that their ties “do not reflect the true strength of our economic cooperation”.
Pakistan would provide 1,00,000 olive cuttings and 1,00,000 seeds of various plant species to promote the plantation of 5 million trees in the Maldives, he also said.
According to officials in New Delhi, India will be maintaining close watch on developments. Enhanced defence ties between Islamabad and Male could mean the presence of more Pakistani military assets closer to the Indian coast.
Kochi, headquarters of India’s Southern Naval Command, is barely 700-odd km from Male. Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep is barely 130 km from the northernmost atolls of the Maldives.