Sri Lankan President Dissanayake to visit Maldives to boost bilateral ties
Colombo, Jul 27 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will pay a three-day official visit to the Maldives to enhance cooperation between the two island nations, the foreign ministry here has announced.
The visit from July 28-30 will be at the invitation of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The two presidents will hold bilateral talks to exchange several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
The visit aims to boost cooperation between the Maldives and Sri Lanka in mutually beneficial areas, according to the ministry.
This will be the first visit to the Maldives by Dissanayake since being elected president in September last year.
His first visit was to India and was followed by visits to China and the UAE.
The visit marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
According to Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, one of the MoUs will allow Maldivian citizens to obtain visit visas valid for up to one year. He said a substantial number of Maldivians visit Sri Lanka for health tourism.
Sri Lanka has been granting free tourist visas to Maldivians since 2023. PTI CORR GRS GRS GRS
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July 27, 2025, 13:45 IST
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